


All for Us

by thelastroseofcintra



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Get ready this is a long one, Heart Eyes For Calanthe, OTP Feels, Shameless Smut, There is a whole lot more to come, it's going down for real, this might hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:42:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 275,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22685680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelastroseofcintra/pseuds/thelastroseofcintra
Summary: An AU story about Eist and Calanthe
Relationships: Calanthe Fiona Riannon & Eist Tuirsach, Calanthe Fiona Riannon/Eist Tuirseach
Comments: 96
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1A - Eist

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be going on for a while and each chapter will be written twice. The first chapter, Version "A" will always be from Eist's perspective, while Version "B" will always be from Calanthe's. I had a hard time switching back and forth between their perspectives on events and found that I enjoyed writing the story from both their perspectives separately. You can read just one version of each chapter and still understand and follow the story, the only difference is you will only see the story from one side. This does mean the chapters at times will be repetitive depending on what is going on.
> 
> Hopefully it works and it is enjoyable to read.
> 
> There will also be flashbacks featured throughout different chapters. To help keep things straight, I will put the year(s) that the event is occurring at the top of each chapter to hopefully keep things easier to follow. The years are pulled from Netflix's timeline of events mixed with the books. I enjoyed Netflix's time jumps too much to not include them in here.
> 
> This is my first fan fiction and feedback is welcome! Enjoy!

**Chapter 1A – Eist**

**Years 1245/1249**

The sun was just beginning to rise as Eist Tuirseach ran his hand up his wife’s back, barely touching her soft, milky skin as he did so. He smiled to himself. _This was his wife._ The woman in his arms was fast asleep, pressed tightly against him, her head lying against his chest with one arm wrapped behind his back, the other resting on his shoulder and one leg draped over his. He reached up and gently stroked her cheek. Eist smiled again as her eyes fluttered slightly. He wanted her badly, so much so that it had woken him up, but he couldn’t bring himself to wake her.

Eist took a deep breath. He had wanted to be with his wife for so long that when he finally had her it almost brought him to tears. Love had been something that Eist had not experienced with a woman before. While he had met women he felt were attractive enough to bed, he never developed feelings toward them. In the morning he would dismiss them, sometimes using coin, so he could get back to his ship and back to the seas. Most thought him odd, preferring to be at sea instead of anywhere else. In truth Eist had accepted the that fact that love would not be something he would experience. That was until he laid eyes on his wife.

Eist smiled as he kept stroking her back, thinking about the first time he saw her. There had been an open invitation across the Continent for noble families to join in a banquet held by the Queen of Cintra. Eist had been in Skellige when the invitation arrived and only agreed to go when his brother, King Bran of Skellige, caught a severe case of influenza and could not attend himself.

“It will do you good, to enjoy some festivities on land for once.” Bran said through fits of coughs.

Eist was introduced by the herald just as everyone else was. He had brought several Skelligan’s with him, including the druid, Mousesack. Eist took a mule of beer handed to him by Mousesack when he first saw her. He noticed her out of the corner of his eye and couldn’t help but turn his head towards her. Queen Calanthe was talking to several men at once, a smile of what Eist sensed may actually be a sign of annoyance on her face. She looked over at him then, their eyes locking. She looked at him for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly. She gave him a different smile then. It was softer, and this one made her eyes light up. This one was real.

Later in the evening, the Queen made her way around the banquet, eventually approaching him.

“I have been waiting for you to introduce yourself all evening, Jarl of Skellige.” Queen Calanthe said as she walked behind Eist. He had been standing along the side of the banquet hall, leaning against a pillar, talking to Mousesack.

“Your Majesty.” Mousesack said, bowing deeply and then quickly excusing himself.

“I am sorry, your Majesty,” Eist said as he bowed, “but your time has been rather preoccupied by others until now.”

Calanthe scoffed. “Yes, gathering this much nobility is never a good idea. None the less, I still have to partake in this peacocking or dare I be considered un-couth. I have had Lords, Princes, and Kings either vying for my bed or my crown all night. Hell, most of them are vying for both. Still, festivities like this are necessary to attempt to maintain good relations.”

Eist looked at her as she spoke, her eyes not meeting his, instead surveying the room. When she had approached him, she stood close to him, so close that he could smell the faint smell of juniper berries on her. He studied her, watching her face. Her hair was dark, almost black, and was slicked back into a long braid wrapped in ribbon and pearls going down her back. Her crown was gold with large blue stones that disappeared into the braid as it wrapped around the back of her head. Her skin was fair and smooth, almost glass like. He noticed the light pink color of her lips and how the bottom one curved more than the top. Her eyes were brown but glinted with gold. She was not only beautiful, she was striking.

“Are there any propositions that have been made tonight that you plan on accepting, your Majesty?” Eist asked as he took a sip of beer.

Calanthe looked up and into his eyes then.

“That is a bold question. Tell me, you seem to show no interest in me or my crown. Is there another maiden here that interests you more? I have heard rumors that you sail the seas yourself, without the company of a woman. Does your bed not get cold at night?”

“Yes, your Majesty. I do usually sail the seas alone, but I am too preoccupied to worry about the temperature of my bed.”

Calanthe smirked at that.

“And I have no interest in your crown.”

Calanthe nodded slightly, smirking more than before. “No interest in my crown? I believe you are the first man that has ever spoken those words to me. Does the same go for me, do you hold no interest?”

Eist smiled slightly as he looked into her eyes, “I did not say that, your Majesty.”

Just as Calanthe began to smile, someone who Eist assumed was an advisor of some sort ushered her away to introduce her to another would be suitor.

It did not take long for Mousesack to return to Eist. “So, what did you think of the Queen? You seemed as though you were deep in conversation.”

“We were.” Eist said, taking another sip of beer.

“And?”

“And truthfully, I wish I could have spoken to her more.”

Another hour passed and guests started to make their way to their guest quarters or their horses and carriages. Eist and Mousesack were conversing with a few knights from Temeria when a messenger discreetly handed him a note. Eist took it, curious about what it said but eager to soon retire to his quarters himself. The only reason he had stayed as late as he did was in hopes to talk to the Queen again, but she had not made it back around to him. He had watched as she was shuffled from Lord, to Prince, to King. She did so with grace, but he could not help but feel for her. While everyone was respectful to her as she was the Queen of Cintra, she was at the end being treated like a prized mare.

Eist unfolded the note and almost dropped it after he read it.

_Join me for breakfast tomorrow at eight o’clock. I would like to finish our conversation and tell you about all the propositions I have refused tonight._

  * _Calanthe_



He looked up and noticed she was watching him as a drunk lord was boasting about the size of his army to her. He smiled when their eyes met. She looked stoic yet irritated, but her eyes softened when they met his.

Calanthe left the banquet soon after who Eist assumed was her young daughter, Princess Pavetta, came running into the hall, crying for her mother. Pavetta was eleven years old and while she was no longer a child, she was fragile and gentle natured. The Princess’s governess followed quickly behind but could not keep up with the fiery young girl.

“Come child.” Calanthe whispered as she wrapped her arms around her daughter and guided her out of the banquet hall.

That was four years ago now. He then began to think about the previous day, thinking about anything that would distract him from wanting to flip the woman in his arms over and take her. Things had not gone to plan, yet they had managed to work themselves out in a better way than most thought possible.

\--

The winds were in their favor as Eist neared the harbor closest to the Cintran capital. His nephew Crach an Craite, Mousesack, the bagpiper Draig Bon-Dhu, and twenty Skelligan’s were set to arrive by ten o’clock in the morning. Eist sat at the bow of the drakkar they were sailing on, letting the morning sun warm his face. He took a deep breath. The day was already planned, motions were set, arraignments made. The Lioness of Cintra, Queen Calanthe had already made her intentions with Eist known. Her daughter, Princess Pavetta, would marry Crach, forming a military alliance between the two countries. Skellige would be promised security from the renowned Cintran Army, resources when needed, and in turn Cintra would have the might of the full Skelligan Navy when called upon.

Crach would also be made King of Cintra when the union was blessed, making Pavetta Queen. Queen Calanthe, reluctantly, would become the Dowager Queen and give up her power over the throne in favor of Crach as demanded by Cintran law.

\--

_“I don’t understand. Why are you set on making Crach the King? Wouldn’t he be a prince until your daughter inherits your throne?” Eist asked after Calanthe proposed her idea to him over dinner in her private dining chambers._

_“Come Eist, you know Cintran law the same as I. A King will always have more authority than a Queen.” Calanthe said, scowling slightly as the words left her._

_“And you feel Crach should have this authority?”_

_Calanthe didn’t say anything. She looked up at Eist. He was surprised to see the typical stoic look on her face was gone and replaced with sadness._

_“If a King holds more authority than a Queen then why don’t you marry again? You would still at least be Queen and hold some sway. Or better marry a man who would not take your authority from you.”_

_Calanthe laughed softly. “A man who does not wish to seize power over the mightiest military force on the Continent? He would be a rare creature indeed. Besides, you seem to think I have more autonomy over my life than I actually do.”_

_It was Eist’s turn to not respond. He stared into Calanthe’s eyes willing to make the sadness set in them disappear._

_“This alliance will be good for Cintra, and good for Skellige. It will be key to Cintra holding power after I am gone.” Calanthe continued as she took a bite of her swordfish._

_“Marry me.”_

_Calanthe looked up at Eist into his marvelous blue eyes. This was his third proposal and he knew before she responded this would be her third rejection. Calanthe didn’t respond, but the corners of her mouth formed into a small smile before she looked down into her lap._

_“You know I can’t.” Tears were beginning for form in her eyes._

_“Do you want to? Would you, if you could?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“Then tell me what’s preventing you from being my wife so I can remove the threat.”_

_Calanthe let out a soft laugh, sniffing as she held back tears. “If only this could be solved by a swing of your sword.”_

_Eist sighed. “Can you marry once you are no longer on the throne?”_

_A single tear fell from Calanthe’s eyes as she shook her head no. “Why would you want me after your nephew is King?”_

_Eist stared at her. Is that all she thought of herself? The Lioness was a renowned warrior, known for her bravery and ferociousness in battle, her striking beauty, and her political savvy. She was also a woman who deserved to be loved and cherished, if that was what she desired._

_“Do you think I’m asking for your hand because of your crown?” Eist asked._

_Calanthe put her fork down and started at him. “Every man asks for my hand for my crown.”_

_“You know how I feel about you. I am not every man, I desire no crown, no power. I desire you, and only you.” Eist said as he looked into her eyes. Tears were forming again as a soft smile appeared on her face. “You know I’ll never stop asking you. I’ll ask for your hand a thousand times if that’s what it takes. If something changes and you can marry again…”_

_“It will be to you. I promise.”_

_Calanthe offered him another small smile as Eist stood and walked around the table to where she sat. Calanthe stood and held out her hand to Eist as he walked to her. He took it, gently stroking her knuckles with his fingers. Eist leaned down, placing a soft kiss on Calanthe’s lips. They had kissed before, a handful of times, when the moment presented itself, and he was keen on taking advantage of this one._

_Eist leaned down as he let go of Calanthe’s hand, kissing her again. In a moment his hands were around her waist as he pressed her back against the wall. Calanthe gasped as her hands wrapped around his back, opening her mouth for his tongue to stroke hers._

_“I love you.” Eist whispered between kisses._

_Calanthe stopped kissing Eist and put her hands on his chest, gently pressing him away from her._

_“Don’t.” she said. Her skin was flushed and her hair already slightly askew._

_“Surely I can at least tell you that I love you?”_

_“That’s the problem. You have the freedom to love me. I don’t have the freedom to love you back. And hearing you say it, while not being able to reciprocate it to you is a different kind of Hell.”_

_“No one can control who you love.”_

_“No, they cannot. But I cannot bare loving a man who I cannot be with.”_

_With that Calanthe left the dining quarters, leaving Eist standing by himself. He was cursed, he must be. Cursed to love a woman he could not be with. He had meant what he said, he would ask her a thousand more times if that’s what it took. Eist Tuirseach had never been in love until he met the Lioness of Cintra, and he knew in his heart that he would not love again. He watched as she disappeared down the hall, counting the minutes until he could lay eyes on her again._

_\--_

Crach raised the banners himself when they pulled into the harbor. The day was becoming warmer as the sun rose, and the palace seemed to glitter in the distance. Cintra was quite the opposite of Skellige. Where Cintra was advanced and sophisticated, Skellige was earthy and rural. The differences did not stop Eist from enjoying his time here. He smiled as he stared up at the capital, wondering what the Queen was doing at that moment.

\--

“Uncle, are you ready?” Crach asked as he walked towards Eist, horse’s reigns in his hands. Eist turned and nodded as he mounted his horse. They set off on the short journey to the palace with their fellow Skelligan’s in tow.

“Remember what I told you. I will kick your ass the whole way back to Skellige if you do anything to jeopardize this.” Eist said as he looked over at his fire-haired nephew.

“I thought this is what the Lioness wanted.” Crach asked curiously.

“It is, but that doesn’t mean circumstances cannot change. No heavy drinking tonight.”

Crach gave a sharp, irritated look to Eist.

“I mean it, or I’ll break a chair over your head again if I have too.”

Minutes passed in silence until Crach asked, “Do you think she’ll like me?”

“Who?”

“The Princess.”

“I think she will in time. She is a gentle spirit. I know the two of you do not know each other well but be mindful of her. In time you may learn to love each other.”

Crach nodded. The idea of marrying a girl he barely knew scared the young lad. Crach had had only small conversations with Pavetta in the past. She was stunning, a true sight to behold. She was also quite and standoffish, the exact opposite of him.

“Crach you must remember that she is a Princess, you will treat her as such. This marriage will make you King but that gives you no right to harm the girl. She is younger than you, with no experience. You know how to behave in that situation?”

“Yes, Uncle. I would not do anything to harm her.”

“Good, because if I hear that harm has come to the Princess in anyway, I will take care of you myself. And if I don’t get to you first, the Lioness will.”

“The Princess seems nothing like the Lioness you know.”

Eist laughed. “Nephew there is no other woman on the Continent like the Lioness.”

\--

The palace was bustling with guests and servants when Eist, Crach, and the rest of the Skelligan’s arrived. Crach, Drag, Mousesack, and the others immediately headed for the bar that had been set up in the throne room where the banquet was to be held.

“I said no heavy drinking!” Eist shouted after Crach when he felt a soft hand on his arm.

Eist turned to see Calanthe standing behind him, the corners of her mouth lifted into a soft smile.

“I’m glad to see you have safety arrived back in Cintra.”

Eist bowed his head to the Queen. “It is good to be back your Majesty.” It had been a month since he had last seen her. The ache he had felt from being away from her and grown intense, causing him more misery than he would ever admit too. Now standing in front of her, he wanted to throw his arms around her and kiss her.

“Walk with me.” Calanthe said as she smiled softly and turned to leave the throne room.

“Is Crach nervous?” Calanthe asked as they walked into the gardens. White Cintran roses had begun to bloom, giving the illusion that the gardens had been covered in snow.

“A little.”

“He won’t drink too much tonight, will he?”

“He may. If he does, I’ll take care of it. How is the Princess?”

“She’s angry with me, she does not understand the way of things no matter how many times I tell her. “

Eist nodded. He had to admit that it must be difficult to be forced into a marriage, and in turn a bed with someone that you did not want to be with. “Crach will try to make her happy.”

“Yes, I believe he will. And if he doesn’t, I suspect you will be here to convince him other…”

Calanthe broke off as Danek, the newly promoted captain of the Queen’s Guard, jogged towards her. “Majesty, we’ve just heard reports of an uprising in the South.” Danek said as he stopped in front of the Queen, bowing.

Calanthe rolled her eyes. “Of course. Impeccable timing.”

Danek and the Queen began to walk back towards the palace leaving Eist where he stood as he shouted, “You’re leaving?”

Calanthe stopped and turned to look at Eist. “I need to take care of this. I won’t be long Jarl Eist.” Calanthe began to walk again towards the palace but quickly stopped and turned back to face him. 

She then turned to Danek and said, “I’ll meet you in the armory in a moment.”

Danek bowed and excused himself, jogging back inside as Eist quickly closed the space between them.

“You are going? Your daughter’s betrothal feast is in a few hours.”

“And who would you suggest go in my stead?”

“I’ll go for you. There is no need to put yourself in harms’ way for this.”

Calanthe playfully rolled her eyes. “And let you have all the fun?” A smirk began to form in the corner of her mouth.

With that, Calanthe turned and strode back into her palace, heading towards the armory.

\--

Calanthe stirred slightly against Eist’s chest as he propped himself up on the pillows behind his back. Eist stopped moving for a moment as Calanthe stilled. After a few minutes he pulled Calanthe gently and slowly up him a little, her head resting against his shoulder. He leaned down, kissing her on the forehead as he closed his eyes, still recounting yesterday in his mind.

\--

Eist smiled widely as the herald announced the Queen’s return to the banquet. She was still wearing her armor, covered in sweat, dirt, and blood. She looked absolutely beautiful. Eist shook his head to himself, he knew what she was doing. Calanthe was showing, in her own way, every man present at the banquet what she was capable of, and what she would do if they displeased her or her daughter.

A Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, was soon introduced and the Queen left to change.

Eist smiled broadly as the Queen reentered the throne room. She had cleaned up and changed, a glorious crown was upon her head and she was in a floral brocade gown that hugged her body tightly.

Crach noticed his Uncle’s reaction as the Queen sat down in her throne. “You seem quite taken with her Majesty, Uncle.” Crach said as he clasped Eist on the back.

Eist glared at him and took a sip of beer, and then looked back at Calanthe and smiled to himself.

\--

It was hard to not notice how much Calanthe was talking to the mysterious Witcher that she had personally requested to sit beside her. Eist had to admit to himself that he was jealous. The Skelligan’s around him were acting rowdy, and he found himself getting annoyed with them sooner than he typically would. He felt the arm of a woman who he had been talking to earlier to distract himself, whose name he could not remember, slink around his shoulders.

“Would you like to show me what else you can do with that blade of yours later on?” she asked as she sat beside him. Eist turned to her, glaring. She was pretty enough, with long blonde hair and a slender face. Eist then glanced up towards Calanthe, whose eyes met his for a moment. A flicker of sadness crossed her face.

Eist turned back towards the woman. He had no interest in this her, for the one he wanted sat at another table with a crown on her head.

“No.” was all Eist said as he shrugged the woman’s arm off of him.

The woman stood and scoffed as she walked away as Eist glanced back up at the Queen, who gave him the softest of smiles before turning to speak to her daughter.

Eist then turned his attention to his nephew, who was boisterously toasting with his fellow Skelligan’s. He supposed he should get presenting Crach over with now, before Crach became too drunk to stand. So much for no heavy drinking.

“Crach it’s time. Get your hairy ass up here.” Eist said as he stood.

\--

Pavetta’s scream ripped through Eist’s ears as he and Calanthe were flung backwards. His back slammed into the ground as Calanthe’s body was thrown onto the ground beside him. Eist saw the ripple of pain on her face as her body hit the stone floor.

A terrifying, raging, magical wind was blowing around Princess Pavetta and the Hedgehog Knight.

“My Queen! Are you hurt?” Eist shouted as he pushed himself to attempt to sit upward as the ‘

glass shattered in the throne room. Eist covered Calanthe’s face with his body as she wrapped her hand securely around his arm. Eist put his arm around her back, pulling her upward to look into her eyes, searching for a sign that she was okay.

Calanthe looked at him for only a moment, and then turned to look towards her daughter. Eist followed her gaze to see Pavetta and the Hedgehog Knight were undisturbed by the raging wind and had begun to rise in the air, floating. Eist stared, he had never seen anything like it. He instinctively attempted to push Calanthe behind him as he reached his arm over her. She clutched him back and for the first time, he saw fear in her eyes.

Calanthe began to curl into Eist as he reached over, clasping her shoulder. Her head pressed against his as the wind quickened and the throne room tore apart. Calanthe reached for his hand, pulling it away from her shoulder and holding it in her own. She didn’t look at him, she couldn’t take her eyes of her daughter, but her hand gripped his tightly.

The wind stopped suddenly as Pavetta and the Hedgehog Knight fell to the floor. Eist’s hand was against Calanthe’s back, helping her sit up, his other gently placed above her elbow.

“Do you believe in destiny now?”

\--

“React poorly and you won’t just face the Lioness, you will be facing the sea hounds of Skellige! Because Queen Calanthe has agreed to my proposal of marriage.”

Eist wasn’t sure what to expect as soon as the words left his lips. He had not planned this, but he would take his chance. Eist was okay if this was the fourth out of a thousand attempts. He completely disregarded everything she had told him. He did not know who was preventing Calanthe from making her own choices, but it was ending tonight. 

He glanced down, looking into her eyes. She looked shocked for a moment, and then looked utterly pleased as she took her hand in his.

“There will be two vowels here tonight! I assume that’s agreeable? Delightful.” Every man in the room bowed to her. Eist noticed that most of them looked terrified as they did.

\--

Eist’s head was spinning as he processed what had just happened. His soon to be newly acquired stepdaughter was pregnant with the Hedgehog Knight’s child. The Witcher then claimed the unborn babe unknowingly as his child of surprise. Eist watched as terror unfolded on the Queen’s face as he did so, not believing the Witcher when he claimed to have no interest in his child of surprise. The Witcher quickly left after with Mousesack following behind.

Eist slowly approached the Queen as she bent down to her daughter, who had just vomited all over the floor for the second time.

“Sweetheart are you okay?” Calanthe asked as she took Pavetta’s hand in hers. Pavetta nodded silently as Duny took her other hand and began to rub her back.

“Did you know?” Calanthe asked as Duny wrapped his arm around Pavetta’s waist to help her stand.

Pavetta nodded but kept her head to the ground, not meeting her mother’s eyes.

Eist could see the anger forming on Calanthe’s face as he stepped towards her, putting a gentle hand on her arm. She turned to him, glaring as Duny slowly walked Pavetta out of the throne room.

“Let them be for the night.” Eist said as he stepped closer to her.

“She did not tell me…”

“No, she did not, but this is a happy moment. You… we are going to have a grandchild.” Eist said softly.

Calanthe smiled up at him. “We. I like the sound of that.”

\--

Mousesack blessed the marriage himself, dabbing the blue elixir on their foreheads signaling their union. Eist opened his eyes after the blessing was finished as Calanthe opened hers. He gently took her face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Eist then pulled away as he took Calanthe’s hands in his, knowing if he didn’t stop, he would embarrass his new wife.

After the ceremony was over, Crach barreled into Eist, causing him to let go of Calanthe’s hands.

“Congratulations Uncle!” Crach shouted, then turned to Calanthe and bowed.

“I am sorry Crach, that things did go as planned.” Calanthe said, taking a step towards her new nephew.

“Majesty it is fine, I think everything happened as it was supposed to.”

Calanthe raised an eyebrow.

Crach laughed and said, “You two were not as discreet as you thought you were.” Looking back and forth between his Uncle and new Aunt.

“The lad is right,” Mousesack said as he walked behind Eist. “The two of you have been flitting around like courting swans for years. It is really about time.”

“Not to mention Uncle, you tend to gaze longingly at the Queen every time you see her.”

“I don’t gaze longingly every time…” Eist said in his defense, turning on Crach.

“Yes, you do.” Crach and Mousesack said in unison.

Eist turned to Calanthe, who was smiling warmly at him. Eist smiled back. He knew her smiles were rare with others around but were plentiful when they were alone walking in the gardens, riding horseback, or even just eating privately. Calanthe then turned and walked to one of her handmaidens, Yuri, who was in the corner talking to Drag. Eist curiously watched as the Queen whispered something to Yuri, causing Yuri to bow and quickly leave the throne room.

“Well I’m sure you are going to have a right good time tonight Uncle.”

Eist glared again at Crach.

“Just don’t bed any of the Queen’s handmaiden’s, Crach.” Eist said as he felt Calanthe’s hand gently take his. Eist turned, looking Calanthe in the eyes. She didn’t say anything as she gently pulled on his hand to follow her.

\--

Eist and Calanthe walked hand in hand in silence to their living quarters. Her hand was small in his. He stroked the inside of her palm as they walked and swore he felt her tremble.

As they approached, the guards opened the doors.

When they entered Eist stopped for a minute to look around. He had never been in her private chambers before. The sitting area was huge. A roaring fireplace was in the center, surrounded by several sofa’s and lounges. A table with several seats was off to the side. There was a large desk covered in parchment and quills. Eist could hear movement coming from somewhere in their chambers, but he wasn’t sure where yet.

A man appeared out of a room from the left who bowed deeply to the both of them.

“Majesties.”

“This is your steward, at least till you appoint one of your own.” Calanthe said as she let go of Eist’s hand. “His name is Lanx.”

Eist looked at the steward and nodded.

“He will assist you.” Calanthe said as she motioned her head and lifted her eyebrows toward the steward.

Eist was unsure what to do. He had never had a steward and his brother did not have one in Skellige.

Lanx seemed to notice as he said, “Your Majesty, this way” and walked through the door on the left.

Eist looked over at Calanthe who smiled subtly. “Darling, we should at least clean up before we spend our first night together.” She said in a whisper, smirking at him.

Eist smiled to himself. She had called him darling. He walked into the room on the left then. The sooner he cleaned up, the sooner he could be with his wife.

Eist entered into the bedchamber and walked through to the privy chamber at the opposite end. A large tub was filled with steaming water and Lanx was arranging towels by the fire. Eist stood there for a few minutes, waiting for Lanx to leave.

“Sir you may enter the tub whenever you like.” Lanx said as he walked to the fire near the tub and added another log.

“I will wait for you to leave.” Eist said hesitantly.

“You will not need assistance?”

“No, I am capable of bathing myself, thank you. However, could you have my trunks brought up from my guest quarters?”

Lanx nodded and bowed, leaving the room.

Eist quickly stripped his clothes, which were ruined from the nights turn of events, and sank into the tub. His back was sore from where he had landed when Pavetta screamed and he was covered in dirt and sweat. He hurriedly washed his hair and scrubbed himself clean.

“Sir, I have your trunks. Is there anything you would like me to bring to you?”

“Yes, in the green trunk there should be a robe.”

A few moments later Lanx entered the room and laid the robe near the towels.

“Is the Queen finished yet?”

“I am not sure your Majesty. I will check.”

Lanx left the room and reentered quickly.

“Her Majesty is almost ready for you. She asked that you join her in the sitting room when you are finished.”

Eist nodded and waited for Lanx to leave before rising from the tub.

“Can you…?”

“You do not need assistance?”

“No, I am capable of drying myself off.”

Lanx bowed and left. Eist shook his head as he stood. Cintran customs were sometimes strange to him.

Eist walked out to the sitting room where Lanx was adding to the fire. He slicked his wet hair back with his hands as he sat down on one of the sofa’s. Eist looked around after a moment.

“Is there any beer?”

“No, your Majesty but I will fetch some for you.”

Lanx quickly disappeared as Eist sat staring into the fire. This night had not gone the way he thought it would. In fact, if someone had suggested that in the very early morning hours of today he would be sitting in the Queen’s private chambers in a robe he would have said they were crazed. After Lanx reappeared with a pitcher of beer and two mules, Eist dismissed him for the evening. A few moments later, Yuri and Maren, the Queen’s ever-present handmaidens, came from the room on the right. They bowed deeply to him before leaving.

After they closed the door behind them, Eist could smell the faint scent of juniper berries. Eist turned to the doorway on the right. Calanthe was leaning in the doorway, freshly cleaned, her face free of makeup, hair wet and braided down her back. She wore a thin navy-blue robe that was tied at her waist. Eist could not help it as his breathe caught in his throat. He had never seen her this way, and she looked beauteous.

“I guess what they say is true,” Calanthe said, walking slowly towards Eist. “You do gaze longingly when you see me.”

Eist chuckled as she sat beside him, so close that their legs were touching. He noticed she seemed to be trembling.

“Are you nervous?” Eist asked as he took her hand in his once more.

Calanthe smiled sheepishly. “Not nervous. I have…” her voice was soft. He had never seen her vulnerable before. “I have spent years convincing myself that I would never be with you.”

Eist looked at her adorningly. “I know, my love. I am still in shock that you said yes.” Eist said as he began to stroke her wrist with his thumb.

Calanthe laughed then, slightly pushing on his chest. “I did it to save my kingdom. And you did not ask, you announced it.” Calanthe said as she laughed.

“Well are you unhappy with the result?” Eist asked as he could not help but laugh with her.

Calanthe’s face became serious as she said, “On the contrary. I am the happiest woman on the Continent.”

Eist nodded lightly as he leaned forward, kissing Calanthe lightly on the lips. It felt like he was struck by lightning when their lips met. They had kissed before, but this was different. This time he did not have to stop, this time he could relish in her kisses.

He parted from their kiss for only a moment to whisper, “And you have made me the happiest man on the Continent.”

He could feel her lean into him as he lightly kissed her lips, over and over. She moaned softly against him when he opened his mouth, gliding his tongue across her bottom lip. Her mouth opened for him then and he glided his tongue across hers. Her hands were in his hair then, grabbing softly as his hands found her hips and pulled her towards him. Eist groaned as Calanthe climbed on top of him, sitting on his lap. He was quickly hardening as she leaned into him and pressed her hips into his. Their kisses intensified as Calanthe dropped her hands to Eist’s shoulders, pulling his robe down off his shoulders. Eist smiled into her as his hands made their way to her bottom, cupping both sides and gently pulling her up.

Calanthe pulled away from him and began to trace kisses down his bare chest. Eist gazed down for a moment, marveling at his wife. He was so hard he could feel himself pressed against his stomach, pressed down from Calanthe’s body on him. He reluctantly took his hands from her bottom and put them on the side of her head, stroking her jaw as he gently guided her to meet his gaze. Her eyes were full of lust when they met his.

“Where is the bed, my love?” Eist asked softly.

Calanthe smiled and responded, “That way.” Motioning towards the door with a nod.

Eist put his hands under Calanthe’s arms and pulled her up so their faces were level. He kissed her gently again as he stood and picked her up in his arms. Calanthe laughed as he carried her to their bed, lying her down and looking over her in wonder. She went to sit up, but Eist stopped her.

“Lay down, my love.” Eist whispered as he leaned down and placed another gentle kiss on her lips.

Calanthe smiled softly and laid back down, resting her back against the pillows as Eist stood, tracing his fingertips from her cheeks, down her body, and ending at the tie at her waist. He pulled lightly at the velvet tie and undid her robe, quickly pushing the fabric away from her body. He could feel his penis jump at the sight of her. Her milky smooth skin was glowing in the light from the fire in their bedchamber. Her rounded breasts were heaving slightly, her stomach toned and curved in only to curve out beautifully at her hips. Eist flicked his eyes lower, seeing the wetness between her legs as Calanthe spread them slightly for him.

“Do you like what you see?” Calanthe seductively whispered as Eist ran his fingertips over her collarbone and down her chest, grazing the tips of her breasts.

Eist was so in awe of her that he could not speak, so he nodded instead. Eist went to climb on top of her, intent on covering her body in kisses before Calanthe put her hand up to stop him.

“Wait.” She said breathlessly as she reached for the tie on his robe and tugging on it.

Eist noticed Calanthe’s eyes widen as she gasped at the sight of his penis. He smiled to himself as her eyes moved upward, finally meeting his eyes.

“Do you like what you see, my love?” Eist asked her back as he smiled at her.

Calanthe did not respond, she only stared at up at Eist as her body began to flush. Eist put his arms under her and gently moved her to the end of the bed. Before Calanthe could protest, Eist gently pulled on her legs as he knelt at the edge of the bed, his wife’s sweet wetness in front of him. He draped her legs over his shoulders as he kissed her thighs softly. He could hear Calanthe softly crying out, whispering his name over and over. Her hands once again found their way to his hair, attempting to pull him up to her. Eist stopped kissing her thighs for a moment and took one of her hands in his, gently holding it to his mouth and kissing her palm and moving to her wrist. After a few moments, he returned his attention to her thighs and began to trace his way with kisses to the center of her wetness.

He kissed her first, directly on her clit before flicking over it with his tongue. Calanthe screamed, her hips bucking into him and her hands pressing his face harder into her. He chuckled against her, circling her with his tongue. Eist kissed her clit again and then sucked it into his mouth. Calanthe screamed again as Eist let it go and blew a stream of air on it, and then quickly sucked it back into his mouth. He could feel her hips begin to grind into his face as he alternated his attention on her.

Eist stopped suddenly and moved to the side of the bed to look Calanthe in the eyes. Her eyes were closed and she was panting, her mouth slightly open from moaning. Eist kissed her gently, startling her. He chuckled as he used his fingertips to stroke his wife’s clit, watching her squirm beneath him.

“Can I try something my love?” Eist asked as he moved his finger to slide back and forth at her entrance.

Calanthe nodded and moaned as Eist flicked his finger over the tip of her clit. He lowered himself again to her as he slid one finger inside. She was so wet she was dripping as he slid his finger out.

“Eist.” Calanthe moaned and panted his name, over and over.

He inserted a second finger then and enjoyed the groan that escaped her lips as she arched her back. Eist bent down again, sucking her clit back into his mouth as he pushed his fingers in and out of her. Calanthe’s hips began to thrash as he curled his fingers inside of her.

Eist pulled his head away for a moment and asked, “Are you close, my love?” while still keeping his fingers moving.

“Yes.” Calanthe was so breathless he could barely hear her.

He looked down her body then, noting how flushed she was and the sweat appearing on her chest. He could see her beginning to tense and writhe uncontrollably. She was very close.

He curved his fingers a little more and began to thrust them rapidly in and out of her as he flicked his tongue over her clit, over and over. Her back arched high in the air as her thighs tensed, closing around him. Eist took his hand away and quickly placed both hands on her thighs, keeping them spread open as she squirted into his mouth. Calanthe was screaming so loud Eist thought for a second that everyone in the castle would surely know of their activates, and he realized just as quickly that he did not care.

Eist ran his tongue from her entrance to her clit, lapping up anything that he had not already swallowed. Calanthe was shaking beneath him, her body tense as her orgasm waned. He gave her clit a few more kisses and flicks of his tongue, causing her hips to jerk.

“Eist.”

Her voice had changed slightly. She was not calling out his name in fits of pleasure anymore, she was asking for him.

Eist smiled as he stood, picking her up and moving her back up the bed to rest on the pillows again. He then climbed on top of her, cradling her face in his hands as he did. Her eyes were heavy and her forehead glistened with sweat. Eist kissed her gently as she caught her breath.

After a few moments, Calanthe stopped kissing Eist and leaned her forehead up to press against his. “It’s your turn now.”

Before Eist knew what was happening, Calanthe flipped him on his back. He stared in amazement as Calanthe lowered herself to his stomach where his penis was standing pressed against him at full attention. She looked up into his eyes as she lowered her mouth to him, kissing his penis on the head. Eist groaned as she kissed repeatedly before flicking her tongue over the very tip of him. Eist closed his eyes and rested his head on the pillows, savoring the feeling of her mouth on him. Then suddenly, Calanthe took all of Eist into her mouth at once. He could feel himself against the back of her throat. Calanthe choked but held her mouth there before Eist sat up and quickly but gently pushed her off. Calanthe went to take him into her mouth again but Eist held his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him and he could see hurt in her eyes.

“My love, hang on. I just need a moment. I do not want to be finished yet.” Eist said as he panted, using every amount of will power he had to not cum on his wife’s face. Calanthe nodded then in understanding. Eist took a few deep breathes and moved his hands, nodding for his wife to continue. She started again with the tip of her tongue at the base of his penis and traced a line to the edge of his tip. Eist could feel his eyes roll in the back of his head as she sucked his head into her mouth and continued to suck. And then once again, she opened her mouth and pressed all of him into her.

Eist couldn’t take it anymore. He jerked his hips back, pulled her off of him, and then flipped them over again.

“You are far too good at that.” Eist whispered as he kissed her collar bone and began to lower himself to her breasts.

Calanthe moaned and ran her hands through his hair and then down his back, pressing her nails in slightly when Eist sucked a hard nipple into his mouth. One of Eist’s legs was in between Calanthe’s, bent towards her. Eist could feel her press herself into his thigh and begin to rub her clit up and down against him. He let go over her nipple and lifted his face once more to hers.

“Are you ready my love?” He asked as he kissed the side of her mouth, feeling her thrusts against his thigh quickening as she repeatedly snapped her hips forward.

Calanthe nodded, her eyes burning with desire for him as she pulled him into her, kissing him madly.

Eist sat up a little, lifting his leg away from her thrusts. Calanthe groaned as Eist’s fingers quickly replaced his thigh, using several of them to rub circles over her clit. Calanthe moaned this time as Eist positioned himself over her. He wrapped his arms around her, leaving her clit unattended for the moment. Calanthe moaned as he pushed just the tip inside of her as he softly kissed her. Eist pulled his hips back then and thrusted, pushing a little more inside her. Soon he was filling her, gently thrusting in and out.

Eist had craved this for so long he was almost brought to tears. After years of craving her, he was making love to the woman he loved, to the love of his life.

Calanthe’s clit was swollen when his fingers made their way back to her. He swirled circles and flicked over her, enjoying seeing her face contort with cries of pleasure. He could feel her arms around is back and trace down his shoulders, scraping her nails as she went.

“Fuck me.”

It was almost a whisper, so low Eist could not hear her.

“What my love?” Eist asked as he kissed his wife, rubbing his thumb against her cheek as his other hand continued their ministrations over her clit.

“Fuck me.” Calanthe’s voice was loud and true that time.

Eist’s eyes found Calanthe’s as he pulled out of her till he could feel the very tip of him against the edge of her lips, and slammed himself back in. The look on Calanthe’s face told everything Eist need to know. This was exactly what she wanted. He kept his first few thrusts deep and slow but then quickly adjusted his pace. He was close, so close he could not understand how he had not cum already, but he wanted to see his beautiful wife cum again.

“Are you close, my love?”

Calanthe moaned into him, nodding her head yes as she felt her body begin to quiver.

Eist looked into her eyes. They were rolling in the back of her head as a familiar flush spread across Calanthe’s body. Eist quickened his thrusts, choosing speed over depth. Calanthe’s eyes crossed for a moment as her hips jerked uncontrollably against Eist’s. He watched in amazement as her back arched as she came, quivering in his arms. Eist pulled his penis out of her, allowing her juices to squirt onto his stomach. Calanthe’s hips spasmed as Eist continued to rub her clit until she quickly came again, screaming and collapsing against the bed as she did.

Eist plunged himself back into her and pounded relentlessly until he came screaming, filling her as he did. His orgasm lasted for almost a minute as he emptied himself inside of her.

He collapsed on top of her, his cheek pressed against hers, panting. After a few breaths, Eist lifted himself to lay on his back, pulling Calanthe into his arms.

They laid there for a minute, catching their breath. Calanthe rested her head against the spot where Eist’s chest and shoulder met.

Eist began to trace the tips of his fingers up Calanthe’s back as he whispered, “I love you” to his wife.

“I love you too.”

Eist was surprised. While he had told Calanthe that he loved her before, she had never said those words to him. He did not realize just how much hearing those words met to him until he heard them from his wife. Eist smiled and nuzzled his nose into the side of Calanthe’s head.

“So, are you happy with this marriage arraignment?” Eist asked as he began to trace his fingers down Calanthe’s back.

“I guess it will do.” Calanthe said playfully, kissing him on the chest.

“We got our alliance after all.” Eist whispered.

Calanthe lifted herself up and looked deep into his eyes, smiling. “Yes, and so much more.” 

Eist smiled, “Each other?”

“Yes. Each other. I’ve wanted you by my side since the moment I met you, you know.”

“You remember that when I don’t let you out of bed tomorrow.” Eist said as he kissed her again on her forehead as Calanthe laughed into his chest.

Eist stared into Calanthe’s eyes as he stroked her back. He had never seen her this way and marveled at the fact that he could. She looked satisfied, exhausted, but most importantly, happy. Soon her eyes became heavy. Eist bent down to softly kiss her on the forehead as she drifted off to sleep.

\--

Eist shifted, thinking about the previous night had not been a good idea. Calanthe left out a soft moan. Eist sat up, looking down at her on his chest. She was stirring in her sleep from a dream she was having. He smiled as her brow furrowed and another moan escaped her.

“Eist.” She said his name so softly he could barely hear it. “Eist.” She whispered again.

Eist smiled down at his wife as her hips began to rock against him. _You must be having quite the dream_ Eist thought to himself as he thought of his ever-present hardening member. Calanthe moaned again, louder this time as the rocking against him quickened. Calanthe then began to gasp, her hips jerked, and soft moans began to fill the air.

With that Eist cupped his wife’s face in his hands and gently coaxed her awake, his thumb grazing her jaw. Her skin was flushed and she had to take a moment to catch her breath. She had orgasmed in her sleep and Eist could feel her juices on his thigh. When her eyes fluttered open Eist immediately began to kiss her, caressing her tongue with his. It didn’t take long for Eist to get what he wanted. He flipped Calanthe over and took her after she nodded in consent, burying his head into her neck as her arms wrapped around him.


	2. Chapter 1B - Calanthe

**Chapter 1B – Calanthe**

**Year: 1245/1249**

Calanthe was barley awake as she felt Eist’s calloused hand glide up and down her back. His hands amazed her. They were large, rough, and scarred. They belonged to a fearsome warrior after all. Yet when his hands graced her body, he could do gentle, wonderous things with them. Calanthe’s eyes fluttered slightly but quickly closed again as she felt Eist stroke her cheek. As his thumb stroked her jaw, she fell back asleep, dreaming of her new husband.

\--

There was still a chill in the air when Calanthe woke, earlier than intended. The sun was just rising as she opened her eyes, sighing as she did so. She was dreading today and wished it was over with before it begun. The only solace she had was knowing that there was a certain guest that she was rather keen to see.

Calanthe ate her breakfast in her private chambers while she poured over reports from her scouts posted near the Southern Cintran border. There were rumors of an uprising, but so far, her scouts found no evidence to support the claims. As she finished the report, a soft knock sounded at her door. “Enter.” She said as she took another bite of blueberry toast. Calanthe’s senior handmaiden, Yuri, entered the Queen’s chambers and bowed.

“Majesty.”

“Is the Princess Pavetta awake?” Calanthe asked briskly as she glanced at the window. It was past eight now.

“Yes Majesty, but she is refusing entry to anyone in her chambers.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes and shook her head as she stood. “I just want this damn day to be over with already.” She growled as she quickly left her quarters and made her way through the hall to her daughter’s chambers.

Calanthe had tried to be patient with Pavetta, had tried to teach her the best she could, but it was to no avail. Pavetta had always been gentle natured to Calanthe’s dismay. They disagreed at almost every turn and spent more time ignoring each other out of anger than anything else. Their relationship was complicated. While Calanthe was often exasperated by her daughter, she loved her dearly. Pavetta had grown never wanting for anything and received her education from the best tutors on the Continent. Calanthe ensured her daughter was always comfortable and spoiled her as much as possible.

Calanthe approached Pavetta’s door and knew from experience that if she did not speak to her in the right way, her daughter would bolt and bar the door and Calanthe did not want to have to break another one down again.

“Pavetta are you awake?” Calanthe asked, softening her voice as much as possible.

She waited for a moment, but all she heard was silence. Calanthe pressed her ear to the door. She thought she heard shuffling, coming from two sets of feet. _Was someone in there with her?_

“Pavetta!” Calanthe yelled as she tugged at the door handle. Was her daughter in danger, or was she hearing things?

“Guards!” Calanthe screamed. Two guards came scurrying up the hallway within moments. “Break the damn door down!” Calanthe yelled.

“Again, your Majesty?” the guard asked nervously.

Calanthe gave him a look that was as sharp as steel cutting through butter. 

Just as a guard drew his axe to strike the door, Pavetta pulled it open.

“What mother?” Pavetta asked. Her skin was flushed pink and she was in nothing but her robe.

The guard quickly excused himself as Calanthe took a step into her daughter’s chambers. “Is someone in here with you? Are you not feeling well? You look feverish.” Calanthe asked, raising her hand to rest on her daughter’s forehead.

“It’s probably due to the dread of facing the day.” Pavetta replied under her breathe.

Calanthe removed her hand from her daughter’s forehead, rolling her eyes. “Enough. We have discussed this…”

“No, we did not discuss anything. You told me what your plans are and that is all. You want me to marry and bed a man I do not love for the sake of Cintra holding power?” Pavetta said lowly, interrupting her mother.

Calanthe glowered at her daughter as she pushed past her into her chambers. Calanthe could have sworn she heard a door close but was too angry to focus on it. “I am tired of this Pavetta. I did not create the situation we find ourselves in. It is my duty to ensure that Cintra…”

Pavetta interrupted her mother again. “Everything is about Cintra! You do everything for the sake of your beloved kingdom. Is that what you tell yourself at night to ensure you fall asleep? How many innocents have you ordered to be killed in the pursuit of your bloodlust and for the sake of Cintra holding power?”

It took every ounce of strength in Calanthe to not slap her daughter across the face.

“You are the daughter of the Lioness, behave like it. And you will be Queen tomorrow. You had better start acting like it.” 

“I don’t want it.” Pavetta’s voice had gone soft, tears were in her eyes.

Calanthe sighed and walked to her daughter, taking her small hands in hers. She didn’t want to fight with her daughter again. “I’m sorry. I have prevented this for as long as I could.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sweet child, I was supposed to have you married off when you were ten, after you bled for the first time”.

Pavetta’s eyes widened. She had not been told that before.

“You stopped it?”

“Yes, and I stopped it again when you turned thirteen, but I can’t stop it anymore.” 

Pavetta’s eyes met her mothers, brimming with tears as were Calanthe’s.

“I didn’t know that.”

Calanthe sighed and pulled her daughter in, hugging her tightly. “It may surprise you to know that I don’t do everything for the sake of Cintra.” A tear fell down Calanthe’s cheek as she let Pavetta go. “Be dressed and downstairs by four o’clock.” Just as she was about to leave, Calanthe stopped in the doorway. She thought she had heard a heard a noise, like something had fallen off a shelf in another room.

“Is someone else here?” Calanthe asked as she turned, facing Pavetta again. 

Pavetta quickly approached, all but pushing Calanthe out the door, “No mother. No one else is here.”

When Calanthe arrived back at her chambers, she excused her handmaidens as she sat and began to weep. She was condemning her daughter to a loveless marriage, just as she had been, all because she and Pavetta were a part of a system who valued tradition above all else.

Calanthe did not love her former husband, the dead King Roegner. Her marriage had been arraigned by her for convenience and to produce an heir. That was it. And that heir was Pavetta. As the years went by, Calanthe had two miscarriages but no other children. By then Roegner had become what Calanthe feared: controlling and power hungry.

Calanthe had always been a strong headed girl when she was young, and as she grew into the woman she became, her strong headed nature turned to arrogance. Calanthe knew who she was and excepted it. It had gotten her this far in life. She had no desire to marry, she did not need a King. Calanthe herself was the blood of the Lion, and so she would rule Cintra herself. It was ironic, that even as Calanthe earned the title “Lioness of Cintra” at the age of fourteen, she was still not considered enough to rule Cintra alone. She tried to change the law, but the aristocracy wouldn’t have it. Calanthe’s ruthlessness and prowess at ruling her kingdom terrified them. A woman was not meant to rule Cintra, yet it was a woman who was able to do it better than anyone.

At first Roegner played his part well. In time though, he began to tire of his wife. Calanthe was too outspoken, too opinionated, and too loved by her military for his liking. No matter how hard he fought, how blood splattered he returned to court, no one ever called him the Lion of Cintra. Roegner had told Calanthe he was pleased when she gave birth to Pavetta, but she could see on his face otherwise. Roegner had made it clear that he wanted a male heir, and that was the opposite of what he received.

Calanthe held Pavetta close to her after Roegner left the birthing room, his face not concealing his true feelings like he thought they did. Tears fell from Calanthe’s eyes as she held Pavetta close to her. “I love you little cub.” Calanthe whispered to her newborn daughter as she gently kissed her on her head.

Calanthe shut down after that, and Roegner’s anger at her began to boil over. It had been three weeks since Calanthe had given birth and she had just put Pavetta in her crib. Roegner entered their chambers, scoffing.

“I thought you were having her moved out of here.”

“She is still young, I would like to have her close to me…”

Roegner cut her off, “Isn’t that what her nursemaids are for? You are a Queen. You don’t need a babe suckling at your breasts and clinging to you all day and night.”

Calanthe turned to him, seething. “She is my daughter!”

Roegner’s eyes narrowed. “She may be, but she is also a Princess. And you are a Queen. She will be moved to her own chambers tomorrow.” And with that Roegner walked out of the room.

Things did not improve as Pavetta grew. The little Princess always tried to earn her father’s affections and while he did not ignore his daughter, he rarely showed her any type of love either. That left Calanthe to love her daughter enough for the both of them. As Pavetta grew and developed opinions and of ideas of her own, it became harder and harder for Calanthe. Every day they seemed to grow more and more apart.

Calanthe swallowed and took a deep breath, pulling herself out of her memories as her handmaiden knocked on her door.

\--

The guests were slowly arriving as Calanthe made her way towards the throne room with her ever present handmaiden in tow.

“Have the guests from Skellige arrived?” Calanthe asked, approaching the servant who was reading names to the herald as he announced their arrival. 

“Yes Majesty.” The servant said, gesturing over to the group of Skelligan’s that were walking towards the bar. Except for Eist. Calanthe smiled to herself when her eyes settled on him. He was dressed well for the occasion, changing his normal rugged clothing for a green and gold brocade doublet and pants. His back was to her, so she could see he had tried to smooth his unruly hair into place. Her eyes darkened as she traced his broad shoulders with her eyes, the narrowing of his waist, and ending at his buttocks, which was perfectly proportioned for him.

Calanthe dismissed her handmaiden and smirked as she approached him from behind, “I’m glad to see you have safely arrived back in Cintra.” It had been a month since she had seen him. Calanthe had missed the sight of his craggy face, the warmth of his smile, the quips of his humor. Being without him was beginning to become mentally and physically painful.

Eist bowed to her. “It is good to be back your Majesty.”

“Walk with me.” Calanthe said as she made her way to the Cintran gardens. This was her favorite time of year to explore the gardens. The white roses of Cintra were in bloom and she had always favored them.

“Is Crach nervous?”

“A little.”

“He won’t drink too much tonight, will he?” Calanthe was well aware of how Crach acted when he drank too much. She had witnessed, to her dismay, Crach jump on banquet tables, punch men in the face, and once even try to take off his clothes when he was drunk. However, Eist must have been working with him. Recently Crach was attempting to be more polite, and respectful. In the end he was a boorish lout, but he could be controlled. And he was from the same stock as the man who walked with her, and that had to count for something.

“He may. If he does, I’ll take care of it. How is the Princess?” Calanthe remembered all the times she had witnessed Eist take care of his nephew. Eist had been punched in the face multiple times trying to break up fights his nephew had gotten himself into, had tackled Crach to the ground to prevent swings from starting, and once broke a chair over Crach as he was so drunk he had swung his sword at his Uncle, thinking he was an assailant. Calanthe snapped herself back to the present.

“She’s angry with me, she does not understand the way of things no matter how many times I tell her.”

She saw Eist nod. “Crach will try to make her happy.”

She knew he meant it. Eist would never understand what it was like though, being forced into a loveless marriage and giving your body to a man you did not desire. “Yes, I believe he will. And if he doesn’t, I suspect you will be here to convince him other…”

Calanthe was interrupted by Danek as he swiftly approached her. “Majesty, we’ve just heard reports of an uprising in the South.” Danek said as he bowed.

She could feel annoyance running through her as she allowed her eyes to roll. “Of course. Impeccable timing.”

Calanthe would have to make quick work of this nuisance to be back in time for her daughter’s betrothal feast. She became so focused on the uprising that for a moment she forgot Eist as she walked with Danek towards the armory.

“You’re leaving?” she heard Eist call after her.

“I need to take care of this. I won’t be long Jarl Eist.” Calanthe said as she began to walk towards the palace. Best to keep up formalities in public. She then suddenly realized how much she would rather stay here with Eist.

“I’ll meet you in the armory in a moment.” The Queen commanded Danek as he bowed.

Eist had quickly approached her, “You are going? Your daughter’s betrothal feast is in a few hours.”

“And who would you suggest go in my stead?”

“I’ll go for you. There is no need to put yourself in harm’s way for this.” 

_Of course he would go for her._

Calanthe looked up into his eyes and playfully rolled hers. “And let you have all the fun?” she smirked at him and turned to walk towards the armory. As she walked away her smile left her face to be replaced by a furrowed brow and a frown. In that moment Calanthe realized she would give anything to accept Eist’s proposal and silently cursed every man inside that was preventing it.

\--

Calanthe entered the armory and went into a small changing room that had been created for her. She quickly pulled off her velvet dress, tossed her corset to the side and pulled on her linen shirt and pants. The years of battle had allowed her to develop the skill of putting her own armor on. She clasped the various buckles and snaps, pinned her braids to sit on top of her head to be out of her face, and tied her boots.

The southern upstarts were quickly overcome. Calanthe loved the feeling of her sword in her hand, cutting through men who were trying to kill her. She made quick work of them as she felt sweat begin to drip from her brown. There was a simplicity in killing men who acted like monsters that she enjoyed. Out here no man questioned her ability, no man looked down upon her. On the battlefield no man could control her. Out here she was equal.

\--

Calanthe could feel Eist shifting beneath her as they laid in each other’s arms. She woke slightly, feeling Eist sit himself up. Eist’s arms reached under hers and gently pulled her upward to be closer to him. Calanthe’s head settled, resting against his shoulder. She felt him kiss her on the forehead as she willed herself to return to the dream she had left moments ago where he was doing wonderous things with his tongue.

\--

“Majesty would you like to change?” Danek asked as they dismounted their horses.

“Why the fuck would I want to do that Danek? I’ll take bloodied armor over a gown any day.” Calanthe said as she clasped the captain on his shoulder.

Yuri stood in the doorway as Calanthe approached and bowed. “Majesty all is set and ready when you are.”

“Good. Is Pavetta there?”

“She is Majesty. She arrived on time, however she is…”

“In a foul mood? Full of waterworks?” Calanthe said as she walked past her. 

“Have you had a change of heart your Majesty?” Yuri asked as she trailed behind her Queen.

“No, all will continue as planned. But I pity my daughter.” Calanthe stopped as she said it, causing the trail of people who were following her to stop as well. “It is a horrible thing, what she will be forced to do tonight. My daughter, like I was, will be condemned to a loveless marriage. No mother wishes that for her daughter.” Calanthe sighed, then turned and began to walk.

“They may learn to love each other.” Yuri said quietly, attempting to boost the Queen’s spirits.

Yuri always managed to have a positive outlook. It was one of the reasons why Calanthe kept her around.

“I can only hope so, for her happiness.” Calanthe said as she stopped in front of the banquet hall.

“All rise for her Majesty, the Lioness, Queen Calanthe of Cintra!”

Calanthe couldn’t help but smirk at the looks she was getting. She knew how she appeared. She had glanced at herself in a mirror in the hall as she passed it. She was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt. Her braids had begun to come undone in her hair that she had pinned up. Her eye makeup was smeared. As she glanced around at the men in her banquet hall, she saw a mixture of lust and fear in their eyes. She passed a servant who was holding a tray of beer out to her. After she tossed her helmet and gloves to her Lieutenant behind her, she picked a mule up and shouted “Beer!”, receiving cheers in response.

“Apologies noble sirs. A few upstart townships in the south needed reminding who was Queen. I find it’s good for one’s blood and humors.”

Just then Calanthe’s eyes met Eist’s. The men in the hall were smiling now, but she could still see the fear in their eyes. That was good, she wanted that fear planted in their minds. Eist was the only one who showed no fear when he looked at her, in fact, he was looking at her like he desired no other woman on the Continent but her.

“Ready your suitor’s tales of glory good lords. My daughter is eager to have this over with. As am I.”

\--

“Your Majesty, that’s Geralt of Rivia.” Yuri whispered quickly to the Queen.

Calanthe was almost stunned. She had heard tales of the Witcher from the bard but had never expected to meet him. After inviting the Witcher to sit beside her at dinner, Calanthe left the banquet hall to change.

Yuri and Maren, the Queen’s other handmaiden, had learned how to quickly dress their Queen for a lavish banquet. Calanthe bathed and sat in front of the fireplace as Maren did her hair while it was still wet as the heat from the fire dried it. Yuri expertly applied the Queen’s preferred heavy eyeliner as Maren finished the Queen’s braids. Her dreaded corset and dress came next, and then ended with her crown being placed upon her head and her braids wrapped and knotted around the back of it.

\--

Geralt of Rivia was turning out to be an interesting dinner companion. As the night pressed on, Calanthe noticed the Eist seemed to be almost jealous of how much she was talking to the Witcher. Calanthe turned to speak to Geralt and when she looked up, she saw a blonde woman drape her arm over Eist’s shoulder. Calanthe felt jealousy surge through her. He didn’t immediately push the woman away. She couldn’t expect him to not find himself in the company of other women but that did nothing to change the thought of him holding another woman in his arms upsetting to her.

Eist’s eyes lifted to meet hers. She didn’t know if he could see the sadness she felt. Whether he saw it or not, he shrugged, the woman’s arm fell from his shoulder and the woman walked away, clearly irritated. Calanthe smiled softly at him before she turned her attention to her daughter.

“Are you alright darling.” Calanthe asked softly. Her daughter had barley spoken during their entire meal. Pavetta said nothing and just looked at her mother, tears shinning in her eyes. Before Calanthe could say anything, the banquet was interrupted by a repulsive lord from Nilfgaard and a suspicious looking knight.

\--

Calanthe landed on the right side of her body as Pavetta’s scream filled the air. She winced, feeling the pain radiate from her arm through her whole body. Eist landed on his back beside her. He almost seemed to not notice the pain he must be in as he pushed himself towards her, shouting “My Queen! Are you hurt?” 

_What have I done?_ Calanthe thought as she struggled to sit upwards, watching her throne room be torn apart. 

Calanthe had learned about Pavetta and her fate of being a child of surprise as Roegner lay dying of the plague. Rumors had already spread that she poisoned Roegner herself. _If only. The bastard deserved it. He was lucky the plague killed him instead of her. She would have made it hurt more._ Roegner had become ever so displeased with Calanthe over the years. She had not produced a male heir, so Roegner had set out to remove his Queen and replace her with a younger, more fertile wife. Calanthe had to be mindful, every drink she took, every bite of food she ate could be laced with poison. Every hunting trip could end with a tragic accident. The Queen employed her own taste testers, unbeknownst to Roegner. A few of them had become ill after tasting food meant for the Queen. Only one of them died.

She would not forget Roegner’s face when she walked into the throne room the day after the taste tester had choked to death on their own blood. Roegner’s face said it all. He had expected her to be dead, but Calanthe was very much alive. As Roegner lay dying, Calanthe was careful to play the mournful Queen, devastated by the potential passing of her King. When she entered his room, her false tears stopped immediately. She sat beside him as he sweated and struggled to breathe.

That was when Roegner told her he had promised their daughter to Duny, the Urcheon of Erlenwald for saving his life all those years ago when he had fallen into a ravine. Calanthe waited for him to finish as tears filled her eyes. Her only child, her daughter, the only person on the Continent that she loved would be claimed by a cursed knight? No, Calanthe would not allow that to happen.

“He should have let you die, you stupid bastard.” Was the last thing the Queen said as she stood and left Roegner to die alone in his chambers. 

Roegner dying was incredibly freeing for the Queen. No longer did she fear taking a sip of water or him attempting to slip into her bed at night, taking her regardless of her protests. The fear that she had felt while Roegner was alive she had kept to herself, not wanting anyone to see weakness in her.

Calanthe closed her eyes forcefully for a moment and willed herself back to the present, back to her daughter losing control and destroying the ancient Cintran throne room.

Calanthe could feel Eist attempting to push himself in front of her as his eyes met hers. For a moment she looked at him. She could see his eyes searching hers but for what she was not sure. She then turned her gaze at Pavetta and the Hedgehog Knight. She had seen this kind of power before in her mother. It was terrifying. Pavetta did not seem to even know what was going on around her. Calanthe pressed herself against Eist and began to curl into him as she grabbed his hand. 

When the wind stopped Calanthe tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through her as she did. She felt Eist’s hands on her back, helping her sit up.

“Do you believe in destiny now?”

\--

“React poorly and you won’t just face the lioness, you will be facing the sea hounds of Skellige! Because Queen Calanthe has agreed to my proposal of marriage.”

Calanthe’s mouth fell open ever so slightly in shock. She looked up at Eist, who had walked to stand beside her, his arm pressing softly against hers as he took her hand. She should have been expecting this, but Eist managed to catch her off guard, a rare feat for anyone.

It only took a heartbeat for her to realize that maybe she could have what she wanted after all. The knight that until a few moments ago had the head of a porcupine would never be excepted as King, she knew the Cintran aristocracy would see to that. He was of unverifiable birth, not fitting of a Princess of Cintra. Eist on the other hand was a Jarl, a military commander, the very commander of the forces she had arraigned to combine with hers.

Calanthe, not breaking eye contact with Eist, smirked and raised her head in agreement.

“There will be two vowels here tonight. I assume that’s agreeable?”

It was ironic that the very men that were a part of the aristocracy that had forbidden her to marry again and had tried to force her to marry her daughter off were in this very room. Pavetta had joined hands with her mother and Duny followed suit. Calanthe looked straight into the eyes of the men who had attempted to control her as they bowed, not taking their eyes off the two couples in front of them. The same fear she had instilled earlier was still there. She hoped that fear lasted forever. As long as they feared her, they would leave her and her family alone.

“Delightful.”

\--

“What have you done Witcher?” Calanthe felt faint, like she could vomit at any moment as her daughter just had. Pavetta was expecting a child, Calanthe’s first grandchild, who the Witcher claimed by the Law of Surprise. Calanthe for a moment wondered if she was the one who was truly cursed instead of the Hedgehog Knight. First her daughter, now her grandchild. Was destiny so cruel that everyone she loved would be taken from her? 

The Witcher soon left and Pavetta vomited on the floor again. He promised to not come back and claim his child of surprise. Apparently he was willing to defy destiny too.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Calanthe took Pavetta’s hand into her own. Calanthe could see Duny reach for Pavetta’s other hand and began to rub her back. She couldn’t help but scowl at him. She didn’t know Duny, but she hated him, this urcheon who had come to claim her daughter, to take her away.

Calanthe was not sure if she wanted to know the answer to the question in her head, but she asked quietly anyway. “Did you know?” 

Duny helped Pavetta stand as she nodded her head but kept it low to the ground. She would not look her mother in the eye. Calanthe could feel the anger rising inside of her. What was she thinking? How long did she expect to hide it for? She was supposed to wed Crach this night, how would she have explained it? Calanthe stepped forward as Eist’s hand gently grasped her. She turned to him, seething. 

“Let them be for the night.”

“She did not tell me…”

“No, she did not, but this is a happy moment. You… we are going to have a grandchild.” Eist said softly.

Calanthe could not help but smile at him. “We. I like the sound of that.”

\--

Eist asked Mousesack, the druid from Skellige to bless their marriage. Calanthe opened her eyes as Eist gently took her face in his hands and kissed her. Eist then pulled away, much to Calanthe’s dismay. She then quickly remembered that they were not alone and was thankful that he stopped. She was not one for public displays of affection.

“Congratulations Uncle!” Crach shouted, jumping at Eist, knocking Eist away from Calanthe. Crach then seemed to realize what he had done as he turned to Calanthe and bowed.

“I am sorry Crach, that things did not go as planned.” She meant it too. He was promised a crown and would not receive it.

“Majesty it is fine, I think everything happened as it was supposed to.”

Calanthe raised her eyebrow. Maybe she was right about the young lad, then Crach quickly ruined the sentiment as he laughed and said, “You two were not as discreet as you thought you were.”

Calanthe’s eyes widened as she glanced at Eist, but he was distracted by Mousesack who had walked behind him. Had the whole court noticed their affections toward each other?

“The lad is right,” Mousesack said as he walked behind Eist. “The two of you have been flitting around like courting swans for years. It is really about time.”

“Not to mention Uncle, you tend to gaze longingly at the Queen every time you see her.”

Calanthe smiled as she looked down at the floor. She had noticed how his face would change when his eyes would fall on her, what she did not know is that apparently others had noticed as well.

“I don’t gaze longingly every time…” Eist said, turning on Crach.

“Yes, you do.” Crach and Mousesack said in unison.

Calanthe looked up and smiled warmly at Eist as he turned to her. She felt a wave of desire run through her as her eyes met his. Calanthe silently turned and walked to Yuri who was talking with Drag. When she approached, Drag bowed and walked away.

“Majesty?” Yuri asked.

“Is Maren upstairs?”

“Yes, she should be drawing your bath soon.”

“The King and I will be up shortly. Please find Lanx and prepare a bath for both the King and I. After that I need to two of you to avoid my chambers till after tomorrow.”

Yuri laughed and asked, “So you’ve made him the King?”

“Yes, that’s what happens when you marry the Queen.” Calanthe said, winking to her handmaiden.

Yuri bowed and quickly left, heading towards the Queen’s private chambers. Calanthe then walked back to Eist, coming behind him and taking his hand in hers. She wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying to the others as she pulled on his hand to follow her.

\--

Calanthe could feel anticipation creeping into her as she walked in silence with Eist next to her towards their chambers. She had suppressed her feelings for him for years and eventually convinced herself she would never be with him. Now, as she was holding his hand, it was settling in that he was hers. His large hand held hers as they walked, and his thumb gently caressed her palm. She could already fell pangs of desire running through her as she trembled.

When the guards opened the doors, Calanthe strolled through as Eist stopped and looked around. Calanthe looked up at him and smiled as his face familiarized itself with his surroundings.

Lanx, a steward, then walked out of the smaller bedchamber connected to Calanthe’s sitting room and bowed deeply to both of them. “Majesties.”

“This is your steward, at least till you appoint one of your own.” Calanthe said as she let go of Eist’s hand. “His name is Lanx.”

Based on Calanthe’s reaction, or lack thereof, she quickly realized that he did not know what a steward’s purpose was. “He will assist you.” Calanthe said as she motioned her head and lifted her eyebrows towards Lanx.

“Your Majesty, this way.” Lanx said as he walked into the bedchamber he came from, Eist is tow. Calanthe smiled slightly as she watched him walk into the room and then turned, heading to the opposite side of the sitting room to the main bedchamber.

She passed through the doorway, taking off her earrings as she did. She walked through her bedchamber and entered her dressing room where Yuri and Maren were waiting for her.

Calanthe sat down as Maren began to carefully undo the Queen’s braids. Yuri used a mixture of oils and balms to gently remove the Queen’s eye makeup. After a few minutes of silence, Yuri spoke first.

“So, the King is rather handsome.”

Maren smiled silently, as did Calanthe.

Calanthe took a deep breath. “You think so?”

“Yes Majesty, and the way he looks at you, he clearly loves you.” Yuri said as she took the crown off the Queen’s head and set it on a table.

“He clearly loves me you say?” Calanthe said, raising her eyebrows. “Apparently our feelings towards each other have been rather apparent to everyone.”

Maren laughed lightly as she said, “They have your Majesty, it is about time you married already. It was bound to happen at some point.”

Calanthe smiled. “I suppose it was, I just had to remove some irritants first.”

She stood as Maren finished brushing her hair out and Yuri removed her dress, slipping it over her head. Both handmaidens turned as Calanthe slipped off her corset and put her robe on.

The three then walked out of the dressing room, through the bedchamber and into the privy chamber where are large bronze tub, large enough for two, sat filled with steaming water. Calanthe sighed as she climbed in. Her body was sore from the fighting early in her day and being thrown on the ground later in it.

“Which scent your Majesty?” Yuri asked, turning to the vials of scented oils sitting on a nearby table.

“Juniper berries. And have more made of it will you? It’s Eist’s favorite.”

Yuri smiled silently as Calanthe leaned back in the tub while Maren began to wash her hair. Yuri added a few drops of juniper berry oil to the Queen’s bath and then went to lay blankets to dry the Queen by the fire to warm. After her hair was washed, Calanthe washed her body quickly and used a dagger to shave. After years of cutting her legs, she had mastered how to quickly shave without leaving a mark. She was sure Eist was done or would be shortly.

Maren handed Calanthe a blanket as she stepped out of the tub to dry herself with. After she dried herself, she wrapped the blanket around herself and sat at a chair placed by the fire. Maren began to brush the queen’s hair as it dried while Yuri found a different blue robe that Calanthe requested.

Calanthe closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing as her hair was brushed. A sharp knock at her bedchamber door interrupted her relaxation.

Yuri answered the knocked and heard Lanx ask “His Majesty would like to know if the queen is finished?”

Yuri took a step into the privy chamber as Calanthe said, “Tell him I almost ready and ask him to join me in the sitting room.” Calanthe smiled as Yuri walked back to tell Lanx. “Maren, can you braid my hair now?”

Yuri brought Calanthe’s navy-blue robe to her as Maren finished loosely braiding the Queen’s hair.

“Do not come back until after tomorrow.” Calanthe said as Yuri and Maren bowed to her.

Both handmaidens smiled and bowed to their Queen and made their way to the sitting room. Calanthe followed behind them and watched them bow to Eist, who was sitting on one of the sofas. Eist turned his head then, looking up at Calanthe as she leaned in the doorway from the bedchamber. She smiled to herself as she watched his face change when he saw her. Eist was looking at her the same way he did when she had swung a sword at him as he ducked, killing the man who was about to stab him earlier that day.

“I guess what they say is true,” Calanthe said as she walked slowly towards Eist. “You do gaze longingly when you see me.”

Eist laughed as Calanthe sat beside him, so close that their legs were touching. She was trembling and could not seem to stop it.

“Are you nervous?” Eist asked her as he took her hand in his again.

“Not nervous. I have…” Calanthe was having trouble find the right words. “I have spent years convincing myself that I would never be with you.” In truth, Calanthe was not trembling from nervousness, she was trembling with anticipation.

The way Eist looked at her made her heart skip a beat. “I know, my love. I am still in shock that you said yes.”

Calanthe laughed as she pushed slightly against his chest. “I did it to save my kingdom. And you did not ask, you announced it.”

“Well, are you unhappy with the result?” Eist asked her as he laughed.

Calanthe looked at him in the eyes and said, “On the contrary. I am the happiest woman on the Continent.” She hoped Eist knew she meant it.

Eist nodded lightly as he leaned forward, kissing Calanthe lightly on the lips. A spark that was in the pit of her stomach since they arrived in their chambers felt like it burst into flames when their lips met. She could taste the sea on his lips as she realized she would get to kiss this man for the rest of her life.

She leaned into him as he lightly kissed her, over and over. A moan escaped her lips as Eist stroked her bottom lip with his tongue. She opened her mouth for him and she grabbed at his hair. Eist began caressing her tongue with his and it was driving her wild. She climbed on top of him as she felt his hands grab her waist, pulling her into him, pressed against his lap. She could feel his penis pressing through his clothing as she pressed against him. Eist began to kiss Calanthe again, more intensely as she dropped her hands from his hair to begin to pull his robe off his shoulders. Calanthe could feel herself becoming wet as Eist cupped her bottom and pulled her up higher on him.

She pulled away from him, glancing down at his bare chest. It was smooth and muscular, except for a few wisps of dark hair. Calanthe wanted all of him. She wanted to feel every inch him, to taste him, to feel him inside her, around her. She had never felt this way about a man before, and something inside of her told her she never would again. Calanthe began to kiss down his chest and then suddenly his hands were no longer holding her bottom but stroking her jaw as he tilted her head up to meet his gaze.

“Where is the bed, my love?” Eist asked softly.

She could feel a surge of desire ripple through her. “That way.” She said smiling and motioning towards the door.

She felt his hands around her as he pulled her up so she was level with him. He leaned in and kissed her gently, almost too gently for Calanthe’s liking. She laughed then when he picked her up and carried her to their bed. He laid her down on her back, staring at her. She tried to sit up to pull him on top of her, but he held out his hands and pressed them gently to her shoulders, stopping her.

“Lay down, my love.” Eist whispered as he bent down, placing another kiss on her lips.

If he were anyone else, complying would not have been an option. She would have immediately stood and reached for a dagger. It was different with him. Calanthe knew she trusted Eist but did not realize how much she did until now. She also did not realize how much she wanted him to lead her, to dominate her. She did not want to be in charge in the bedchamber, she wanted him to be. Calanthe laid herself back down, resting her back against the pillows as Eist traced the tips of his fingers from her cheeks, down her neck, over the tips of her breasts, and across her toned stomach, ending at the tie on her waist. She could feel tingles going down her spine and ending between her legs.

Eist pulled lightly at the velvet tie, causing the bow to come undone. She could feel his fingertips graze her stomach as he quickly pulled her robe open. She smiled as his eyes darkened and his breath quickened as his eyes ran the length of her body. When they reached her thighs, she opened her legs slightly for him. Calanthe glanced at his robe where his prominent bulge was standing, feeling her mouth water and her pussy begin to become so wet she was sure she was dripping.

“Do you like what you see?” Calanthe whispered as Eist’s fingertips grazed over her collarbone and down her chest and over the tips of her bare breasts. She wanted to scream when his fingers flicked over her hard nipples, but she refrained and instead clamped her mouth shut. She did not know how long she would be able to remain quiet for, but she suspected it would not be for long.

Eist nodded, showing his approval of her as he tried to climb on top of her but Calanthe held up her hand, stopping him. “Wait.” She breathed as she leaned up on her elbow and reached for the tie on his robe, tugging at it to release it.

Calanthe watched as his robe fell to the floor and then lifted her eyes and gasped. His penis was huge. He was fully erect, red with prominent veins, his large head purpling and glistening with precum. Calanthe took a deep breath as she tried to steady her breath. She could feel her juices began to drip out of her as she tore her eyes away. His stomach was toned, as was his chest. His arms were muscular and suddenly she wanted them wrapped tightly around her and never wanted him to let go. She met his eyes then and he smiled at her.

“Do you like what you see, my love?”

Calanthe did not respond, she felt like she lost her ability to speak. She could feel her body flushing as Eist put his arms under her and she felt herself being moved to the end of the bed. Before she could comprehend what was happening, she watched him kneel on the floor at the end of the bed and drape her legs over his shoulders. Her head fell back as he began to gently kiss the inside of her thighs. She began to cry out for him as she quickly lost control. She subconsciously grabbed at his hair and attempted to pull her up to him. Calanthe wanted to feel him everywhere as he pulled one of her hands from his hair and held it to his mouth, gently kissing her palm and then the inside of her wrist. After a few moments he returned to her thighs as she grabbed his hair again. She trembled as his kissed made their way to her dripping pussy.

She felt him kiss her, directly on her clit first. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and then he flicked his tongue over her. Calanthe screamed and bucked her hips into him as she pushed his face against her. She hadn’t meant to scream, but the feeling of his mouth against her was too much to bear. She felt Eist chuckle against her and the vibrations drove her crazy. He circled her clit with his tongue, then kissed it again, and then sucked it into his mouth. Eist suddenly let go and blew a stream of air onto her clit. She screamed as he quickly sucked her back into his mouth. She began to grind her hips into him as he continuously switched his methods on her swollen clit.

Calanthe felt heavy. Her eyes were closed and she was panting when Eist kissed her on the lips, startling her. She opened her eyes to see his face close to hers and felt his finger stroke her clit. She squirmed beneath him involuntarily.

“Can I try something my love?” Calanthe could feel his finger slide from the bottom to the top of her entrance. She nodded as Eist flicked his finger over the tip of her clit and moaned. Eist was gone then, lowering himself between her legs again as she felt him insert a finger into her.

“Eist.” She could barely whisper his name at first, and then she quickly began to repeat it over and over like a prayer.

He pushed a second finger inside of her and she moaned and arched her back towards him. Her clit was in his mouth again, being sucked gently as he pushed his fingers in and out. She felt his fingers curl then, creating a different sensation as her hips began to thrash.

Calanthe could hear him ask her “Are you close, my love?” as he kept up the pace with his fingers.

She could barely breath out the word “yes” as her body began to tense and writhe. Calanthe could feel his fingers curve a little more inside of her as he began to rapidly thrust them in and out of her, flicking his tongue over her clit more forcefully than before. Calanthe raised her back high in the air as a warm sensation started inside of her. She could feel pressure building as her orgasm neared. Her thighs tensed as Eist stroked inside of her a few more times and suddenly she felt like she was exploding. Pure pleasure rippled through her entire body as she felt herself spasm against Eist’s fingers and tighten around them. Suddenly his fingers were gone and she could feel his hands holding her thighs open. She felt herself squirt as his mouth closed around her, swallowing her. She was screaming uncontrollably as she tried to thrust her hips towards Eist and then his tongue was there, licking his way from her opening to her clit. She was shaking, her legs tense as he kissed and lightly flicked his tongue over her clit. Her hips once again involuntarily jerked against his mouth.

“Eist.” She whispered his name, hoping he would understand that she was asking for him. She felt exhausted as her body hummed with pleasure, but she wanted to please him as much as he just did to her. Her skin felt like it was on fire and she knew she was sweating as Eist picked her up and moved her to the top of the bed, resting her against the pillows again. She felt him lay on top of her and cradle her face in his hands. She could barely open her eyes as he kissed her as she caught her breath.

They stayed that way for a few moments, gently kissing as Eist stroked her cheeks. Calanthe wanted to stay like this forever, but Eist’s ever present hard penis pressed against her stomach reminded her that he needed his release too, and she badly wanted to give it to him. It took all of Calanthe’s will power stop kissing him. She leaned up, pressing her forehead against his as she whispered, “It’s your turn now.”

Calanthe flipped Eist on his back, shoving him against the pillows. She climbed downward and looked up into his eyes as she lowered her mouth to his penis and kissed him directly on the head. She kissed repeatedly, enjoying the sound of Eist groaning before flicking her tongue over him. She glanced up again and saw that Eist had closed his eyes and was leaning back against the pillows. His brow was furrowed and his mouth was slightly opened as his breath began to quicken with every flick of her tongue.

Calanthe pulled back and opened her mouth as wide as she could and pressed down, slowly taking all of him in her mouth. She could feel him against the back of her throat, choking her. Every reflex in her wanted her to let him out of her mouth, but she willed herself not too. Eist’s hands were suddenly pushing her off of him. Without thinking of anything besides the fact the fact that she enjoyed him in her mouth, she opened her mouth and leaned forward again. Eist hands were on her shoulders then, preventing her from leaning forward.

She looked up at him, hurt filling her. She thought he was enjoying it.

“My love, hang on. I just need a moment. I do not want to be finished yet.”

Calanthe nodded as she stared at his penis. He was slick from being down her throat, his entire shaft had turned purple, his head was bulging, his veins even more prominent, and a steady stream of precum was leaking from his tip. He was extremely close. In truth Calanthe would have gladly let him cum on her face, or better down her throat, but that is not what he wanted. Eist took a few deep breathes and then moved his hands, nodding for her to continue.

She started again, this time at the base of his penis, and traced the tip of her tongue to the tip of his head. She sucked his head into her mouth then. After glancing up at Eist and seeing his expression, she kept mouth there, flicking his head as she sucked. Calanthe was wet again and could not help herself as she opened her mouth and took all of him into her again.

Eist pulled away again and grabbed ahold of her hips and flipped her over. “You are far too good at that.” He whispered as he kissed her collar bone and began to lower himself to her breasts.

Calanthe could feel Eist take a nipple into his mouth as she ran her hands through his hair and down his back, pressing her nails into him as she moaned. She was dripping again and felt Eist’s thigh between her legs, pressing slightly into her. Without thinking, she shifted subtly, enough so her clit could rub against his thigh and began to rub herself up and down, humping him. Her hips spasmed as he let go of her nipple and raised his face to hers.

“Are you ready my love.” Eist asked as he kissed the side of her mouth. Calanthe was thrusting her hips into him more forcefully, searching for another release.

Calanthe nodded as she pulled him to her, kissing him madly.

She felt Eist sit up a little and pull his leg away from her thrusts. She groaned loudly, only to have Eist’s fingers quickly replace his thigh, using several fingers to rub circles over her clit. Calanthe moaned as Eist positioned himself over her, stopping rubbing her clit only to wrap his arms around her. Calanthe moaned as he pushed the tip of himself inside of her. He kissed her softly and then pulled his hips back and then thrusted forward, feeling a little more of him this time. After a few more thrusts, Eist filled her completely and continued to gently thrust in and out.

Calanthe was glad for his tenderness. It had been a long time since a man had been inside of her, and Roegner was no where near the size of Eist. It hurt at first, for a fleeting moment, when he pushed inside her completely. Then the pain was gone, to be replaced by Calanthe feeling full and complete when he thrusted into her.

She fought back tears for a moment. She had fantasied how making love to Eist would be and she thought that’s all it would ever be, a fantasy. Now that he was in her, making love to her, she realized her best fantasy paled in comparison to him. In her entire life, Calanthe never felt so loved as she did in this moment, with Eist thrusting steadily into her, lovingly looking into her eyes.

Calanthe’s face contorted as Eist’s fingers were against her clit again, circling it and flicking it. She cried out in pleasure as she scraped her nails down his shoulder’s.

Suddenly Calanthe wanted Eist differently. She wanted him to take her, hard.

“Fuck me.” She panted out, hoping he heard him. She had no idea if he would do it, no idea if he liked to be rough.

“What my love?” Eist asked as he kissed her, rubbing his thumb on her cheek as his other hand continued to pay attention to her clit.

“Fuck me.” She almost screamed it at him this time.

Eist looked into Calanthe’s eyes as she felt him pull out of her, the tip of his penis resting against the tips of her lips. He slammed himself completely into her then. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, her mouth opening as ecstasy began to creep up on her. This is exactly what she wanted. He continued the hard thrusts, causing Calanthe to begin to spasm as he pushed deep inside of her. He soon adjusted his pace, thrusting not as deep but faster than before, sending shivers down her spine. Calanthe could feel the warm pressure forming in her again.

“Are you close, my love?”

Calanthe moaned into him, nodding her head yes as she felt her body begin to quiver.

Calanthe’s eyes rolled in the back of her head as Eist quickened his thrusts, pounding into her. He was hitting the same spot his fingers had earlier, the same spot that had caused her to squirt. She jerked her hips uncontrollably into his as her back arched. She came hard as Eist pulled out of her and she felt herself squirt. She was screaming so much her throat was sore. Her hips spasmed as Eist continued to rub her clit and suddenly a surge of pleasure went through her again. She came again, squirting and collapsing against the bed.

Eist plunged himself back into her. He was pounding relentlessly, needing his own release. He came inside her as he screamed. His orgasm lasted for almost a minute as his penis spasmed inside of her. She smiled as she felt him cum, filling her.

Eist collapsed on top of her, his cheek pressed against hers, panting. After a few breaths, Eist’s arms were around Calanthe, rolling her with him to rest against his chest. His arms locked securely around her, holding her tightly.

They laid there for a minute, catching their breath. Calanthe rested her head against the spot where Eist’s chest and shoulder met.

She could feel Eist’s fingertips trace her back as he whispered “I love you” to her.

Calanthe had never told Eist that she loved him. She had tried, but it was too painful. No one, including Eist, knew the full extent of the pain she had felt at not being able to be with Eist until now.

“I love you too.”

It felt so right to say those words to Eist. They were not words Calanthe spoke lightly. Only three other people had heard her say them. Her parents and her daughter. Even Roegner never heard those words from her. Calanthe felt Eist nuzzle her and smiled.

“So, are you happy with this marriage arraignment?” Eist asked as he began to trace his fingers down Calanthe’s back.

“I guess it will do.” Calanthe said playfully, kissing him on the chest.

“We got our alliance after all.” Eist whispered.

Calanthe lifted herself up and looked deep into his eyes, smiling. “Yes, and so much more.” 

Eist smiled, “Each other?”

“Yes. Each other. I’ve wanted you by my side since the moment I met you, you know.”

“You remember that when I don’t let you out of bed tomorrow.” Eist said as he kissed her on her forehead as Calanthe laughed into his chest.

Calanthe stared into Eist’s eyes as he stroked her back. He looked sated and content, but most importantly, happy. She felt her eyes becoming heavy, like she was melting into him as she began to drift off to sleep. The last thing she felt before sleep took her was Eist’s lips press a kiss to her forehead.

\--

Eist flipped Calanthe over, mounting her from behind. Calanthe bent over, raising the back of her high in the air. His thrusts were hard, moving her on the bed. His hand reached around and stroked her clit mercilessly.

She whispered his name repeatedly as she felt herself getting close, “Eist.”

Suddenly the bed she was on seemed to melt away and she was floating. Was she dreaming? She couldn’t be. She felt his flicks quicken against her as she whispered his name again. “Eist.”

Suddenly stars burst around her as she came. She could feel hands cupping her face. It made no sense, Eist’s hands were stroking her and gripping her hip. She felt a familiar thumb graze her jaw as one of the last waves of the orgasm flowed through her.

Calanthe’s eyes fluttered opened. She had been dreaming. In an instant Eist’s lips were on hers, kissing her as he flipped her over. Soon he took her as she nodded her consent, burying his head into her neck. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.


	3. Chapter 2A - Eist

**Chapter 2A – Eist**

**Year 1249**

Rain splattered against the window covers in the early hours of the morning. Eist was barely awake when he felt his wife’s gentle kisses on his lips. He laid for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of her soft lips pressing against his over and over. He moaned his approval then, before gently returning her kisses and reaching up to take her face in his hands, thumbs caressing her jaw.

Their room spelled like rain as a harsh gust of wind pushed one of the window covers open. He quickly climbed out of bed, gently moving Calanthe off him as he did so, to push the cover shut and latch it. Once finished, he realized how cold their bedchamber was and proceeded to add a few logs to their dying fire.

Eist climbed back into bed then, pulling Calanthe into his arms. He could feel her shiver against him as she pressed her head to his chest as a crack of thunder boomed outside. They began to warm as they lay against each other in silence while the fire grew. Another crack of thunder shattered the air around them. It made Eist uneasy. He had never like storms, and this one sounded too close for comfort. Calanthe stirred slightly, moving one of her arms to rest against the side of Eist’s head, running her fingers through his thick unruly hair.

The fire was now roaring, competing with the wind and rain on which force was more powerful. Eist began to gently glide the tips of his fingers down his wife’s back, down to her bottom and squeezed as he cupped her, enjoying the soft moans he received in return. Calanthe lifted her head as she pushed herself up to meet Eist’s eyes.

It did not take long for their lovemaking to start.

\--

Their first day together spent together as husband and wife was blissful. In the early afternoon Calanthe declared to Eist that she could not allow them to have an entirely unproductive day, so she attempted to write a few letters announcing their marriage to neighboring kingdoms. Eist wrote a letter to his brother before heading down to the kitchens to have food brought to them. While he was gone, Calanthe had written four letters and was working on the fifth when he returned and practically pounced on her, smearing the ink as Eist climbed on top of her.

Later when they attempted to bathe, they made a huge mess in the bathroom, causing half of the water to splash out onto the floor as they grinded into each other.

When their dinner arrived after the sixth bell, they ate in front of the fire in the sitting room as Eist showed Calanthe a schematic of his own design for a ship that was being built in Skellige. The ship was soon forgotten though. Calanthe was eating a piece of honeycomb when some of the honey dripped onto Calanthe’s inner thigh. Before she could wipe it away, Eist insisted that he remove it himself. Soon Eist was guiding her to lay on her back as the taste of honey and Calanthe mixed on his tongue.

\--

The bell sounding it was nine o’clock in the morning came too soon. Both Eist and Calanthe were half asleep in each other’s arms, both flushed and beaded with sweat, fighting to stay awake as they gently kissed each other.

“Majesties?”

Eist groaned as he was pulled back into reality by Yuri, who was lightly knocking on the door to see if they were awake.

Calanthe sighed, kissed Eist one more time and then responded, “We’re awake.”

“Will you be eating downstairs, or should I have breakfast brought to you?”

Eist looked at Calanthe. All he wanted was to stay with his wife, in this room, just like this, forever. But Calanthe missed her daughter, and they both had duties to attend. “We’ll eat downstairs.” Eist begrudgingly answered.

“Yes, your Majesty, the tub has been filled and your clothes laid out.”

They both sighed in unison as they climbed out of bed, heading to the privy chamber that held their giant tub. Calanthe climbed in first as Eist offered his hand and then followed in after her. Eist almost fell asleep as Calanthe washed his hair, massaging his scalp over and over. Calanthe’s long hair took longer to wash and took several buckets of water to rinse. They washed their own bodies, deciding that washing each other would delay their timing of arriving at breakfast several hours behind.

When they were finished, they both put clean robes on and headed towards their dressing room. Maren was finishing changing the sheets on their bed as they passed. A dark green velvet dress was pulled out for Calanthe, and a velvet tunic and pants for Eist hung on a rack by Lanx. The chill was still in the air and the rain had not stopped, so both of their tall boots had been set out for them as well. Calanthe’s hair was braided as Eist gathered the letters that Calanthe had written the previous day to give to a courier. He smiled when he picked up the letter with smeared ink. King Foltest’s letter would have to be rewritten and sent later.

They walked arm-in-arm down to the private banquet hall after Eist handed the letters off to the courier. When they entered, everyone in the room stood at once. Calanthe led Eist to the far end of the table where her previously single chair had been joined by a second. Eist and Calanthe sat in unison, and everyone else followed.

Eist quickly looked around. Mousesack and Crach were sitting beside each other and after greeting the King and Queen, they continued their jovial conversation.

Duny, now a Prince of Cintra, sat by himself on the opposite side, a plate still mostly full of food to the left of the one he was eating off of.

Eist took Calanthe’s hand under the table and glanced over, expecting to see her glance at him, eyes glinting. Instead Calanthe was starring daggers at Duny. Eist had suspected that she would not immediately take to him, and possibly never would. To Calanthe, he was the man that had come to take her daughter. Except he didn’t, he loved her daughter. Eist was not sure if Calanthe could tell the difference.

Duny spoke first, which Eist had to admit in the presence of his intimidating and clearly angry wife, was bold. “Good morning your Maje…”

“Where is my daughter?” Calanthe asked pointedly to Duny, cutting him off.

Eist noticed that Duny looked like he had not slept much. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes.

“She could not take the smell of the food, Majesty.” Duny said, looking down at his plate.

“I wonder why that could be.” Calanthe muttered to herself.

Eist squeezed her hand gently, hoping it would distract her and provide her comfort. He sympathized with Duny. Both men had married incredibly strong-willed women and married into a royal household. The transition for the women in the marriages would be almost seamless with very little changing, the men would move from their homes and their lives would change drastically.

A door at the back of the small banquet room quietly opened as Pavetta walking back inside. Eist noticed how the tension in Calanthe’s face disappeared when she saw her daughter. Pavetta was pale and looked exhausted. It appeared she had not slept as well either. Duny stood, helping her to sit at the table.

Calanthe took her daughters hand when she sat down. “How are you feeling?”

“Not well. I’ve never been so sick in my life. I can barely fall asleep and when I do, I get sick again.” Pavetta said with tears in her eyes.

“Princess, if the Queen permits it, I could make a tonic for you that should help ease your nausea.” Mousesack said as he spoke up from the opposite side of the table.

Calanthe looked at him and then nodded her consent.

“I will get started on it right away. It will help, Princess.”

Pavetta looked up and nodded, offering Mousesack a small smile, then suddenly stood as she began to heave and sprinted out of the room.

Eist noted that Duny did not leave to go with his wife. He glanced over at Calanthe, who was glaring at Duny. Calanthe stood abruptly, causing everyone except Eist to jump to their feet. She let go of Eist’s hand and then followed her daughter out of the room.

All the men that had stood took their seats again. Crach and Mousesack continued their conversation while Duny played with his food, pushing it around on his plate with his fork.

“Let me give you a suggestion, Prince Duny.” Eist said quietly. “If Pavetta is ill, go and be with her.”

“I would, I just… I don’t know what to do for her.”

“It’s the act of being there that counts.” Eist said, not understanding why a man that was almost the same age as him did not see that.

“I do not think being there counts for anything right now. She can’t keep anything down.”

“It may not seem like it now but being there for Pavetta does matter to her. She will remember it when she is feeling better. And you are on very thin ice with the Queen. If you displease her, she will remove you from her court quickly and without remorse.”

Duny nodded, looking down at his plate.

They finished their meal in silence and Calanthe nor Pavetta returned to the dining hall.

Eist picked up an orange. “Crach, can you ask the Queen to join me in the training yard when she returns?”

\--

The weather was still cool and damp, but it had stopped raining by the time Eist walked outside. Vissegerd, the high Cintran Marshall, approached the King when he entered.

“Sire.” He said before bowing his head.

“It’s good to see you Vissegerd.” Eist said as he clasped the Marshall on the back. Eist had had conversations with the Marshall in the past and had always liked the man. He was loyal to a fault to Queen Calanthe and had served the Cintran Royal family since the Queen was a young girl.

“I believe congratulations are in order.”

“For what?”

“For the very reason I now bow to you sire, for your marriage to our Queen. She looked pleased enough when you announced it at the banquet. It was about time really.”

Eist just chuckled in his response. Apparently everyone felt it was about time. He walked to a barrel and set the orange down. Calanthe had not eaten breakfast and he knew she would be hungry.

\--

Vissegerd and Eist threw saw chips over the mud-covered ground.

“Would you like to practice on the target, or would you care for a sparring partner?”

“The target will do fine.” Eist said as he crossed to a barrel filled with training swords. They were just as heavy as a traditional sword, but the blades were dulled down.

Vissegerd bowed and took his leave.

\--

Eist had destroyed two targets and was working on the third when he noticed Calanthe watching him. He stopped swinging as she approached. Eist did not notice till that moment that he was covered in sweat and mud, despite the saw chips on the ground. Calanthe said nothing to him, instead she held her hand out for the sword. Eist handed it to her, their hands grazing as she took it.

Eist stepped back as Calanthe swung the sword, decapitating the target than Eist had been swinging at. He smiled, stepping off to the side and leaning against a column, watching his wife move onto another target. There was something incredibly alluring and desirable about Calanthe swinging a sword. She was incredibly powerful, her smaller frame allowing her to be quicker than most men. What was made better was her attacking the targets in a green velvet dress. Eist’s brow furrowed though. As he watched her swing, he could see the anger in her face, the aggression in her swing as she slashed at the target, eventually splitting it in two.

After she finished her second target, she turned to Eist. Her hair was slightly askew with her pieces falling from the braid, sweat was on her brow and her chest was heaving.

“Do you feel better, my Queen?” Eist asked. He couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his face.

“Did I make a mistake Eist?”

“What are you talking about?” he crossed to her in a moment, resting his hands on her hips.

“I can’t stand him. He is not worthy of her or the title I bestowed upon him.”

“I don’t know if it is that he is not worthy. Give him some time.”

Calanthe scoffed as tears began to rim her eyes. “All this, for destiny? There was never any choice was there? She was destined for him. I didn’t have a choice, and neither did she. I have spent my entire life proving my worth because I’m a woman with a crown, fighting to make my own decisions and make my own destiny. Yet I can’t give that same freedom to my daughter, or my grandchild.”

“Destiny can be cruel my love, but that may not be the case here. Pavetta loves Duny, for some reason,”

Calanthe laughed at that, even as a tear fell down her cheek.

“And she was clearly happy to be with him when you married them. In that case, destiny was indeed kind, she loves the man she was destined to be with.”

Eist smiled as Calanthe looked into his eyes.

“How is it possible that every moment I am more thankful to be with you than the last?”

Eist smiled softly, taking Calanthe’s hands in his.

“Could it have anything to do with my rugged good looks, or my skills in the bedchamber?”

Calanthe laughed out loud, putting her arms around Eist and resting her head against his shoulder. “Hardly. You keep me sane, you always have.”

Eist smiled into her hair as he leaned his head against the side of hers.

“And yes, your rugged good looks and exceptional bedchambers skills help as well.”

It was Eist’s turn to burst into laughter. They stood there, in each other’s arms until the rain returned. When the water drops began to fall on them, Eist took her hand and quickly pulled her into the corridor, tossing the training sword in the barrel and grabbing the orange he saved for her. He smiled when she gladly took it, pulling the skin off and biting into it as they walked inside.

A letter arrived later in the day from Eist’s brother just before dinner.

_Eist,_

_I was shocked to hear that the arraignment between Crach and Pavetta did not proceed and was even more surprised to hear of your marriage to the Queen of Cintra. You have always spoken highly of the Lioness. And I am pleased that both nations still have their alliance._

_I am requesting that you and your Queen, along with the rest of her family, travel to Kaer Trolde for a celebration feast in the honor of our newfound alliance, your wedding, and your accession as King of Cintra in three weeks time._

_Your Brother,_

_King Bran_

\--

It had been two weeks since Eist and Calanthe were married. Their trip to Skellige was arraigned to occur in another weeks time, per Bran’s request. Autumn was beginning to set in and although the waters had not begun to ice, there was a heavy chill in the air. Eist was ecstatic. He missed his beloved Isles, the feeling the sea on his face when he walked outside, the smell of salt in the air. He missed climbing the steep cliffs and exploring hidden caves. What excited him most of all though was taking his wife to Skellige. She had never been there before, and he was excited to show her all of the wonders the Isle’s had to offer.

Eist and Calanthe made their way down to breakfast that morning, walking arm in arm per usual.

“Are you excited, my love? We leave in a week.” Eist said as they turned a corner.

“Yes, my darling, I am excited.” Calanthe reassured him, patting his arm as they entered the private banquet hall.

Things were quieter around the palace now. Crach and Drag had already returned to Skellige. Duny and Pavetta sat with Mousesack, who had provided Pavetta with several tonics and elixirs for her morning sickness. The potions had worked and Pavetta started to become more herself again.

The trio stood when Eist and Calanthe entered and sat after the King and Queen did.

“Good morning.” Calanthe said, attempting to be polite.

Eist took the Queen’s hand under the table and glanced at Pavetta, who smiled warmly at her mother.

“Good morning Mother.”

“Good morning, your Majesty.” Duny said quietly.

\--

“I don’t know how to bear to be in a room with him, let alone speak with him, but I don’t want it to be like this for the rest of my days.” Calanthe said earlier in the day as she braided her own hair. Calanthe gave her handmaidens time off from their duties as she was able too, and today was a day where she could spare them.

“Well my love, try being kind to Duny then, even if it’s just for Pavetta’s sake.” Eist said as he sat on a bench in her dressing room, stretching his long legs as he did so.

Calanthe turned, glaring at him. “I am kind…”

Eist cut her off with a burst of laughter. He had not meant to and he received a heated glare in return.

He chuckled to himself again and then stood, walking to stand behind his wife. He put his hands gently on her shoulders, rubbing them with his thumbs and bent down, kissing her on the head. “My love, I love you more than anything else on this Continent, but you are not kind.”

Calanthe turned in her seat and sharply said his name, “Eist!”

“You’re not, and that’s fine. I’ll be kind enough for the two of us. However, in this instance the kindness will need to come from you. You have not attempted to get to know him or even speak to him. I’ve had conversations with him my love, he is smarter and kinder than I gave him credit for. Maybe you’ll end up liking him yourself.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes and turned back around as Eist put his hands back on her shoulders.

“If you don’t want this to continue than be kind. And if not, you may push your daughter away in the process.” And with that Eist turned and walked to their sitting room to wait for her to finish.

\--

Milder food was being served for breakfast, per Calanthe’s request of the kitchen staff, until Pavetta’s morning sickness passed. Eist noticed that while Pavetta looked pale and thinner than normal, she was at least eating the toast that she was served.

“Good morning, Eist.” Pavetta said, smiling weakly to the both of them.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” Eist asked as he served himself and Calanthe scrambled eggs.

“I am tired, but I don’t feel as nauseous today.”

“Good, good I’m glad to hear it.” Eist said as Calanthe put a piece of toast on her plate and his.

“Duny, how about yourself?”

“I am well Majesty, thank you.” Eist noticed how uncomfortable Duny looked as he spoke. While Eist had begun to develop a repour with Duny, it was plain to see that Duny was still terrified of his mother-in-law.

They ate in silence until Eist moved his hand from hers to her knee, gently squeezing it. He heard her sigh quietly to herself.

“How do you find Cintra? Is it to… to your liking?” Calanthe asked, sounding like she was choking on her own words.

Eist had to hold back his laughter. He knew his wife despised small talk, and while she was a skilled politician in her own right, she was not capable of being disingenuous. He also knew that she was doing this for Pavetta’s sake only, not her own or Duny’s.

Duny looked stunned. This was the first time Calanthe had addressed him since she blessed their marriage. “It is a wonderous city, your Majesty.” He spoke slowly and sounded utterly confused in the process.

“There is no need for the titles Duny, not when we are in a private setting.”

Eist smiled to himself. If she was giving him permission to not use her royal title, she was, in her own way, being kind.

Mousesack and Pavetta sat in silence, their eyes constantly shifting from person to person.

Eist could feel the tension as it began to arise in Calanthe. He could see her body beginning to tense, her fingers curling into a fist and staying there, and her fixated furious gaze on Duny. He reached out and patted her thigh, attempting to distract her but it was to no avail. Eist was in the middle of taking a bite of toast when Calanthe stood without warning, causing everyone else to stand, and Mousesack to drop his fork in the process.

“Duny,” Calanthe said, staring daggers at him once again, “Meet me in the training yard in ten minutes.” And stormed out of the room.

Eist sat back down and continued eating while everyone else continued to stand, looking shocked.

“What is she talking about?” Pavetta asked.

“Don’t worry Pavetta, your Mother won’t hurt him.” Eist said.

Pavetta looked at him, her eyes wide and her lips pursed.

“Well, she may hurt him, but she won’t kill him.” Eist said, thinking out loud.

“Sir, I don’t understand…” Duny asked, looking at Eist.

“The Queen has requested that you meet her in the training yard in ten minutes.” Eist said, sitting up.

“Why?”

“Why you ask? This is her way of getting to know you. I would leave now by the way. She will not be pleased if you are late.” Eist said, leaning back in his chair again.

Dunny nodded and walked out the door.

“What is she doing?” Pavetta asked as her eyes began to water.

“You need to understand, your mother loves you…”

Pavetta rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“She does. She loves you more than you know, and she would be destroyed if she lost you. Right now, Duny is a threat. She does not see Duny as your husband. She sees Duny as a man you were promised too without her permission, or your permission for that matter. She is afraid that at any moment he will take you away from her. And to top it all off, Duny promised her first grandchild to a Witcher.”

Pavetta looked down into her lap, clearly upset. “But he is not taking me. We still live here. And he did not mean to promise our child to the Witcher. He did not know what he was promising. We do not want to lose our child either.”

“No, he did not mean to promise that, but that is not that point. Your Mother could lose you in a heartbeat to Duny. And now, because of him, she could lose her grandchild. She is now living in constant fear…”

“Stop saying my mother is afraid. She isn’t afraid of anything.” Pavetta interrupted Eist, her expression softening slightly as she processed his words.

“You’re right, Pavetta, she is not afraid. She is terrified.” Eist said as he stood and left the room.

As he walked down the hallway he could faintly hear Mousesack say, “He is right Princess. Your mother adores you. Loosing you would destroy her.”

\--

At first Eist thought to head to the stables and go on a horseback ride down to the harbor but as he reached them, he decided against it. He wanted to leave Calanthe alone, let her do whatever she needed to do in the training yard to help ease her fear and anger. He also knew what his wife was capable of if she thought her daughter was in danger.

When Eist arrived at the training yard, a small crowd of soldiers had formed. Eist saw Vissegerd and walked to him immediately.

“Majesty.” Vissegerd said when Eist stood beside him.

“How long have they been fighting for?” Eist said, eyeing Calanthe. She swung at Duny’s chest, nearly missing him as Duny ducked, backing away.

“Not long. The Queen came down in a rage though. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her that angry. She commanded me to give her two swords of fresh steel and…”

“What,” Eist said, cutting him off. “fresh steel? Those are not dulled blades?”

“No Majesty.”

“Why did you give the Queen a sword fresh from the forge?” Eist said furiously, turning to Vissegerd.

“She is the Queen! I cannot refuse her commands!”

“So she commanded you?”

“Yes! She commanded two swords of fresh steel. She barely had them in her hand when the Prince arrived. She tossed one to him and once the lad had it in his hand, she all but lunged at him.”

“He has a sharp sword as well?” Eist asked, looking up as Duny swung at Calanthe’s neck. Her sword was up in the air, blocking the blow just as Duny swung. She spun then, using the full force of her body to snap the sword to Duny’s opposite side, hitting him in the back with its flat edge.

Pavetta must have walked behind Eist for he did not know she was there until then. He heard her first, and when he turned to her Pavetta was in tears. “Aren’t you going to stop them?”

Eist turned back around as he heard Calanthe grunt. Duny had knocked her to the ground. Eist felt like he could see in slow motion. Duny raised his sword high in the air above Calanthe’s head. He saw Calanthe as she rolled to the side, quickly standing on her feet as the sword landed on the ground where she was just lying. Calanthe swung her sword from the side, knocking Duny over again with the flat side of her blade. Eist the realized what Calanthe was doing. Calanthe would not attempt to kill Duny, no matter how angry she was. She would beat on him though to ease her fear and anger.

Duny stood, anger raging on his face. Calanthe smiled through the corner of her mouth. Duny lunged, in a stabbing motion. Calanthe quickly knocked the blade away with her own. Duny lunged again, and his blade was knocked away once again, causing Duny to stumble. Calanthe swung then but before she could hit him, Duny swung from the crouched position he was in and slammed his fist into her side. Calanthe fell to her knees, her sword free hand at her side gasping for breath. Duny stood above her and raised is sword above her head.

“Duny, no!” Pavetta was screaming and crying.

Time suddenly seemed to speed up. Eist felt his stomach drop as Duny raised his sword. He could hear every man with a sword draw it, ready to defend their Queen, as he slammed himself into Duny, sending them flying into a column. Duny took the brunt of it to his back. When they landed on the ground, Eist pried the sword out of Duny’s hands. Duny winced but stood quickly.

“What the fuck are you…” Duny yelled at Eist.

“Enough!” Eist bellowed. “Dueling the Queen is one thing, attempting to kill her is another!”

“I wasn’t going to kill her! At the rate she was going she would have knocked me on my ass again!” Duny yelled back.

Eist turned then to face Calanthe. She had stood and looked calmer than expected, given the circumstances.

“Are you hurt?” Eist asked her softly as he walked to her.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said, still looking at Duny.

Eist turned back to Duny, who took a step towards him.

Eist stood up straight, staring at Duny. “Take one more step and I will punch you in the face.”

Eist could feel Calanthe approached behind him as she whispered, “We were sparring. I’m fine.”

Duny stopped and looked down at his feet. “I told you I would not have struck her.”

“I’m impressed, Prince Duny. It’s been a long time since a man has gotten the better of me.” Calanthe said, nodding to him.

Duny nodded back but did not say anything. Calanthe turned and walked to Visengerd and handed him her sword and then walked out of the training yard without saying a word.

Eist continued to stare at Duny. Had he misjudged the situation? Duny had swung his sword at the Queen’s head while she was on her knees. Eist had never seen anyone raise a weapon to the Queen besides the Witcher at Pavetta’s betrothal feast, and even then, the Witcher lowered his sword when the Lioness drew hers to him. Eist could not have stopped his reaction even if he wanted too.

Eist looked at Duny. Part of him was sorry for barreling into him, the other part would never be sorry for defending his wife. “I don’t care if you were sparring. If you ever swing a sword at the Queen’s head again, I’ll cut your fucking head off myself.”

With that, Eist turned, also handing the sword he held to Visengerd and walked out of the training yard to find his Queen.

\--

He found Calanthe climbing into their tub. He could see her back was bruised from where she hit the ground, the side of her stomach where she was punched was swollen and purple.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked.

“You already asked me that.” Calanthe said, resting her head back against the tub.

“No, I asked if you were hurt.” Eist said walked behind Calanthe, resting his hands on her shoulders again just as he had earlier in the day.

“Why did you interfere?”

“Do you honestly expect me to do nothing if I think you are in danger?”

Calanthe did not answer.

A few moments passed. Eist walked around the side of the tub, watching Calanthe.

“Are you getting in?” Calanthe asked. Eist noticed a twinge of impatience in her voice.

“Do you want me too?”

Calanthe looked up at Eist, giving him a faint smile. “Of course I do.”

Eist quickly stripped his clothing off and climbed into the tub, sitting behind her. Once he was seated, she leaned back against his chest.

“You are too protective. What are you going to do when we go into battle together? Throw yourself in front of every swing and get yourself killed?” Calanthe said as Eist’s arm reached around her, resting on her hip. She reached her hand down and took his hand in hers.

“What would you do, if I was on my knees and someone raised a sword over my head, ready to swing?”

Calanthe sat silent for a moment and sighed. “I would kill him. Except Duny was not going to strike me.”

Eist bent down and kissed Calanthe on the side of the head. “From where I was standing, it certainly looked like he would. And your soldiers thought so too I might add. And yes, I will probably get myself killed trying to protect you.”

Calanthe sighed. Eist looked down over her should and could see her eyes roll. “I cannot appear weak in front of my men.”

Eist felt Calanthe pick up his hand that she was holding and kiss it.

“You do not appear weak, my love.”

Calanthe scoffed. “Tell that to the soldiers that watched.”

“I will if I need too.”

Eist could feel Calanthe shaking her head slightly against his chest.

“Are you truly upset with me?” Eist asked as he traced her left arm with his fingers.

“No, of course I’m not.” Calanthe said, twisting herself just enough in his arms to kiss his scruffy jaw.

Eist smiled and rested his head against hers.

“I think you may have been right about Duny though.” Calanthe said.

“What do you mean?”

“I think I do like him after all.”

They both erupted into laughter as Eist wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight against him. Eist kissed her shoulder and trailed up to her neck. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	4. Chapter 2B - Calanthe

**Chapter 2B – Calanthe**

**Year 1249**

Calanthe awoke to the sound of rain falling. She opened her eyes slowly, relishing the sound. She had always found the sound of rain relaxing. She was lying on Eist’s chests and smiled as she listened to his steady heartbeat. Calanthe kissed Eist’s chest and sat up, careful not to wake him. She stretched her arms and took a deep breath, looking back down at her husband. She smiled again, studying him as he slept. His hair was sticking in all directions, which she supposed was her fault. She had run her hands all through his hair the night before as he took her. He looked so relaxed, with no trace of tension on his face. Calanthe reached her hand out, grazing over the stubble that she loved so much and smiled. She traced a finger then down his nose, and then traced a line across his forehead, barely touching him. He was perfect.

Calanthe leaned down then, suddenly having the urge to kiss him. She laid down gently on top of him and placed small, gentle kisses on his lips. After a few moments, she heard him moan and approval before he began to kiss her back. She smiled when he took her face in his hands, gently caressing her jaw.

A gust of wind pushed one of the window covers open as the storm picked up outside. Eist had stood, gently moving Calanthe off of him, before she could to close it. She could feel the cold air coming through the window before it closed and shivered. Eist went to their fireplace once the cover was closed and added a few logs as he used a poker mix the new logs in with the old.

Eist was back in their bed them, pulling Calanthe into his arms. She shivered against him. His skin was cold from being by the window. A crack of thunder boomed as she pressed her head to his chest. They laid in silence for a while, warming as the fire grew. Another crack of thunder ripped through the room and she noticed Eist tense. It was hardly noticeable, with just the faintest trace of his face tensing. Calanthe was not sure if Eist did not like thunderstorms so she moved one of her hands to the side of Eist’s head, gently running her fingers through his thick unruly hair to calm him.

Calanthe could hear the fire roaring and cracking as it drowned out the rain. She felt Eist’s hand glide down her back, sending shivers down her spine. She moaned when his hand cupped her bottom and squeezed, sending a shockwave through her and arousing her. She lifted her head as she pushed herself up to meet Eist’s eyes.

It did not take long for their lovemaking to start.

\--

Their first day together spent as husband and wife was blissful. Calanthe, however, believed in duty before pleasure and was having a hard time doing nothing productive during the entire day. Eist had tried to convince her that they were being extremely productive, in their bedchamber, which only produced an eyeroll from Calanthe. Eventually she persuaded Eist to let her write a few letters and made him promise to let her write them in peace. He agreed, only because he needed to go and have food brought to them since Calanthe had told their servants to avoid their chambers for the day. Eist had written a letter to his brother before he headed to the kitchens while Calanthe began writing to the other houses in the Northern Kingdoms.

She was almost finished writing to her cousin, King Foltest, when Eist returned. He practically pounced on her, causing the ink to smear on the letter as he laid Calanthe on the ground, climbing on top of her.

Eist filled their bronze tub halfway through the day so they could bathe. At first their intentions had been to clean themselves only, but Calanthe climbed on top of Eist’s lap, making the inevitable impossible to avoid. Half the water was gone from the tub by the time they finished.

Calanthe was so hungry her head hurt when their dinner arrived after the sixth bell. Eist had pulled a schematic for a ship he had designed that was currently being built in Skellige from his trunks to show her. The ate in front of the fire as he showed it to her. Calanthe picked up a piece of honeycomb as they talked. As she took a bite of it, some honey dripped onto her inner thigh. She set the rest of the honeycomb down, reaching for a rag.

Eist pulled the rag away as she reached for it. “Let me get that for you, my love.”

She smiled, feeling the familiar surge of desire swell inside of her as Eist crawled to her and bent over, guided her thighs open, and gently licked the spot of honey away. She was wet for him instantly as Eist climbed on top of her, guiding her to lay on her back.

\--

The bell sounded when it was nine o’clock in the morning. Calanthe wanted to scream. She was tangled in Eist’s arms, flushed and beaded with sweat, kissing him gently.

“Majesties?”

It was Yuri. She could hear Eist groan as she knocked at the door. For a second thought about telling her handmaiden off, but then decided against it.

Calanthe sighed and kissed Eist one more time. “We’re awake.”

“Will you be eating downstairs, or should I have breakfast brought to you?”

Calanthe looked at Eist. She almost laughed at how unhappy he looked at the fact that they were disturbed. She wanted to stay with him, just like this, in his arms, forever. Forever was not an option though. She missed her daughter and wanted to see how she was feeling. There were also her duties to attend too. “We’ll eat downstairs.” Eist answered begrudgingly.

“Yes, your Majesty, the tub has been filled and your clothes laid out.”

They both sighed in unison as they climbed out of bed, heading to the privy chamber that held their giant tub. Calanthe climbed in first as Eist offered his hand and then followed in after her. Calanthe took soap in her hands as Eist turned his back to her. She washed his scalp thoroughly and swore he fell asleep a few times as she ran her nails across his scalp. Calanthe then turned her back to Eist, allowing him to wash her long hair. It took several buckets of water to ensure it was properly rinsed. They washed their own bodies, deciding that washing each other would delay their timing of arriving at breakfast several hours behind.

When they were finished, they both put clean robes on and headed towards their dressing room. Maren was finishing changing the sheets on their bed as they passed. A dark green velvet dress was pulled out for Calanthe, and a velvet tunic and pants for Eist were hung on a rack by Lanx. The chill was still in the air and the rain had not stopped, so both of their tall boots had been set out for them as well. Calanthe’s hair was braided as Eist went out to the sitting room. She could hear him collecting the letters she had written the previous day.

They walked arm-in-arm down to the private banquet hall after Eist handed the letters off to the courier. When they entered, everyone in the room stood at once. Calanthe led Eist to the far end of the table where her previously single chair had been joined by a second. Calanthe and Eist sat in unison, and everyone else followed.

Calanthe immediately noticed her daughter was not present in the banquet hall, but her newly acquired son-in-law was. She could feel Eist’s hand around hers as she glared at Duny.

“Good morning your Maje…”

“Where is my daughter?” Calanthe spat at Duny, cutting him off.

“She could not take the smell of the food, Majesty.”

“I wonder why that could be.” Calanthe muttered to herself.

She felt Eist squeeze her hand as the door at the back of the banquet room opened. Calanthe immediately relaxed as Pavetta walked through. Her daughter had dark circles under her eyes. Her skin, which was naturally fair, looked unnaturally pale. Duny stood and helped Pavetta sit as Calanthe looked away.

Calanthe reached for Pavetta’s hand as she sat down and was thankful when her daughter took it as she asked her “How are you feeling?”

“Not well. I’ve never been so sick in my life. I can barely fall asleep and when I do, I get sick again.”

Calanthe noticed the tears forming in Pavetta’s eyes. She remembered being pregnant with Pavetta, remembered the constant nausea that she felt. While it was its most intense during the early months, the nausea never fully went away until after Pavetta was born.

“Princess, if the Queen permits it, I could make a tonic for you that should help ease your nausea.” Mousesack said as he spoke up from the opposite side of the table.

Calanthe turned and nodded to him.

“I will get started on it right away. It will help, Princess.”

Calanthe turned back to Pavetta as she looked at Mousesack and nodded, offering him a small smile. Pavetta stood then, letting go of Calanthe’s hand as she began to heave and sprinted from the room. Calanthe looked at Duny. He barely looked up as his wife ran from the room. She could feel anger rising in her as she stood abruptly. Her other hand, which had been holding Eist’s let go as she followed her daughter out of the banquet hall.

Pavetta had barely made it to the outdoor corridor as she began to heave, falling to her knees. Calanthe was there in a moment, wrapping her arms around her daughter. She noticed that nothing was coming up as Pavetta coughed.

Calanthe kissed Pavetta on her temple. “Sweetheart, when was the last time you ate?”

“Yesterday.” Pavetta said weakly as tears stung her eyes while she clutched at her mother.

Calanthe sighed as she held her daughter. “Come sweetheart, let’s get you inside.”

Calanthe helped her daughter stand and took her arm, guiding her to a nearby empty room. It was cool, but that would be good for now. A well heated room would not bode well for Pavetta’s stomach.

“When Mousesack brings you the tonic you must drink it straight away. I know your nauseous, but we must get some food into you.” Calanthe said as Pavetta rested against her.

She felt Pavetta nod against her.

After a few moments Calanthe asked, “Has Duny been with you when you’ve been ill? Is he looking after you?”

“He has been. He sat with me all yesterday. I don’t think he knows how to help though. He just sat there most of the time looking helpless.”

Calanthe laughed. “That reminds me of your father. Most of the time that is all they do during the process. They sit there and look helpless.”

Calanthe adjusted how she sat so her back rested against the chaise lounge they had sat on as Pavetta turned, curling into her Mother. Calanthe smiled. She would often fall asleep with Pavetta in her arms when she was a child with her curled into her just like this.

“I don’t think Eist would look at you helplessly.”

Calanthe chuckled, “You don’t think so?”

“No, he loves you far too much for that.”

Calanthe swallowed. She could not stand the sight of Duny and hated him for what he had done, claiming Pavetta by the Law of Surprise. But her daughter needed to be cared for now, so Calanthe swallowed her pride and said something she did not want to say.

“Duny loves you too, I’m sure he will come around in time.”

Pavetta lifted her head slightly, “You really believe that?”

Calanthe could see the spark of hope in Pavetta’s eyes. She did not want to lie to her daughter, so she only nodded. Pavetta smiled then and rested her head against Calanthe’s chest again.

Soon Pavetta was asleep as Calanthe rubbed her back. Pavetta had put a thought into her head, sparked a desire in her that she did not know she had until now.

Calanthe wanted a child with Eist.

\--

Pavetta was not asleep long when she woke, knocking Calanthe out of her thoughts.

“How long have I been asleep for?”

“Not long, Sweetheart. Do you feel better?”

“Yes, I do rather.” Pavetta said, stretching as she stood.

Calanthe stood after Pavetta, taking her hand as she did.

“Do you want to try to eat again Sweetheart?”

“No Mother, please do not talk about food.”

Calanthe nodded as they made their way back towards the banquet hall. Duny and Crach stood outside, talking when the pair approached. Both men bowed. Duny stuck out his hand, reaching for Pavetta’s while not making eye contact with Calanthe. She rolled her eyes as the pair walked away.

“The King asked that you join him in the training yard.” Crach said as he leaned back against the door, propping his foot against it.

\--

The weather was still cold when Calanthe stepped into the outdoor corridor near the training yard. She brought her hands to her arms, rubbing to keep them warm, wishing she had her cloak. As she approached the yard, she could hear a sword singing as it sliced through the air and grunting as it made contact with its target. She turned the corner to see Eist, swinging with the fury of a sea devil at the straw targets. Calanthe smiled, leaning against a column as she watched him.

Eist was a tall man, towering over most. He was sinewy, not bulky or stocky like most men of the Isle’s. A true warrior, Eist had an enormous amount of strength behind his swing and decapitated what appeared to be his second target. He moved onto the third then, barley taking a breath. She could see him sweating as he swung, mud coming up from the saw chip covered ground, splashing on him, his hot breath freezing in the air. Eist pulled back his sword to swing, glancing behind him as he did. Eist smiled when Calanthe approached him, holding out her hand for the sword that he held.

Calanthe waited for Eist to step back as she swung the sword, decapitating the target Eist had been working on. She moved to the fourth target, beginning with plunging the sword into the wood be heart of the straw man target. She pulled it out then and pulled the sword back towards her body and cut upwards and then brought the blade down over her head, slashing downward. She could feel the anger inside her, the frustration at so call destiny being released with each swing. She finished the target with another slice over her head, splitting the target in two.

She turned to Eist then. She could feel her braid coming undone and the sweat on her brow as she caught her breath.

“Do you feel better, my Queen?” Eist asked, smirking.

“Did I make a mistake Eist?”

“What are you talking about?” Eist asked as he crossed the yard to her, resting his hands on her hips.

“I can’t stand him. He is not worthy of her or the title I bestowed upon him.” Calanthe said, venom seeping into her voice as she did.

“I don’t know if it is that he is not worthy. Give him some time.”

Calanthe scoffed as tears began to rim her eyes. “All this, for destiny? There was never any choice was there? She was destined for him. I didn’t have a choice, and neither did she. I have spent my entire life proving my worth because I’m a woman with a crown, fighting to make my own decisions and make my own destiny. Yet I can’t give that same freedom to my daughter, or my grandchild.”

“Destiny can be cruel my love, but that may not be the case here. Pavetta loves Duny, for some reason,”

Calanthe laughed at that, even as a tear fell down her cheek.

“And she was clearly happy to be with him when you married them. In that case, destiny was indeed kind, she loves the man she was destined to be with.”

“How is it possible that every moment I am more thankful to be with you than the last?”

“Could it have anything to do with my rugged good looks, or my skills in the bedchamber?”

Calanthe laughed out loud, putting her arms around Eist and resting her head against his shoulder. “Hardly. You keep me sane, you always have.”

She could feel Eist press himself into her as he hugged her.

“And yes, your rugged good looks and exceptional bedchambers skills help as well.”

Eist burst into laughter as they stood there until the rain began. He pulled her by the hand then, ridding himself of the training sword and grabbing an orange off of a barrel and handed it to her. Calanthe gladly took it, peeling it rapidly as she suddenly remembered how hungry she was.

\--

It was two weeks since Eist and Calanthe were married. A trip to Skellige had been arraigned at the request of King Bran and was arraigned to occur in another weeks time. Autumn was beginning to set in and although the waters had not begun to ice, there was a heavy chill in the air. Calanthe had enjoyed watching Eist as he told her about Skellige. His eyes would light up as he would tell her all the places he wanted her to see, then would tell her no more as to not ruin the surprise of seeing them for the first time. It made her smile.

Calanthe and Eist made their way down to breakfast that morning, walking arm-in-arm per usual.

“Are you excited, my love? We leave in a week.” Eist asked as they turned a corner.

“Yes, my darling, I am excited.” Calanthe reassured him, smiling to herself as she patted his arm just as they entered the private banquet hall.

Pavetta was finally seeing a relief to her nausea, thanks to the tonics and elixirs provided by Mousesack. They did not relieve all of her symptoms, but she could keep simple food down at least. The palace had become calm again as most of the Skelligan’s that had visited for the banquet had returned to their home. Calanthe, without realizing it, had grown used to the grown men causing a ruckus in her palace. She missed the sound of it now.

When Calanthe and Eist entered the banquet hall, the only people in the room, Pavetta, Duny, and Mousesack, stood, waiting to the Queen and King to sit.

“Good morning.” Calanthe said, forcing the words out of her.

Calanthe felt Eist’s large hand take her smaller one under the table as she glanced at Pavetta. Calanthe smiled when her eyes met her daughter.

“Good morning Mother.”

“Good morning, your Majesty.” Duny said quietly.

\--

“I don’t know how to bear to be in a room with him, let alone speak with him, but I don’t want it to be like this for the rest of my days.” Calanthe said earlier in the day as she braided her own hair. Calanthe gave her handmaidens time off from their duties as she was able too, and today was a day where she could spare them.

“Well my love, try being kind to Duny then, even if it’s just for Pavetta’s sake.” Eist said as he sat on a bench in her dressing room, stretching his long legs as he did so.

Calanthe turned, glaring at him. “I am kind…”

Eist cut her off with a burst of laughter. Calanthe glared at him again as he did.

Calanthe was near the middle of her braid when Eist walked behind her, putting his hands on Calanthe’s shoulders and rubbing gently as he leaned down and kissed her on the head. “My love, I love you more than anything else on this Continent, but you are not kind.”

Calanthe turned in her seat and sharply said his name, “Eist!” She suddenly had the urge to smack him upside his head.

“You’re not, and that’s fine. I’ll be kind enough for the two of us. However, in this instance the kindness will need to come from you. You have not attempted to get to know him or even speak to him. I’ve had conversations with him my love, he is smarter and kinder than I gave him credit for. Maybe you’ll end up liking him yourself.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes and turned back around as Eist put his hands back on her shoulders.

“If you don’t want this to continue than be kind. And if not, you may push your daughter away in the process.” And with that Eist turned and walked to their sitting room, leaving Calanthe there alone to think about what she was doing.

Eist was right, no matter how much she did not want to truly admit it. She had not been kind to Duny. Why should she be? Although maybe it was time. Maybe it was time to accept destiny. Duny was not going anywhere and she could see, even threw Pavetta’s severe morning sickness, how happy he made her. Still, she could not get the thought out of her head that constantly plagued her when she thought of Duny, and that was the thought of the white haired Geralt of Rivia returning to claim her grandchild.

\--

Milder food was being served for breakfast, per Calanthe’s request of the kitchen staff, until Pavetta’s morning sickness passed.

“Good morning, Eist.” Pavetta said, smiling weakly to the both of them.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” Eist asked as he served himself and Calanthe scrambled eggs.

“I am tired, but I don’t feel as nauseous today.”

“Good, good I’m glad to hear it.” Eist said as Calanthe put a piece of toast on her plate and his.

“Duny, how about yourself?” Eist asked.

“I am well Majesty, thank you.” Duny responded. Calanthe noticed that he looked at Eist when he spoke, but he would not look at her.

They ate in silence until Eist moved his hand from hers to her knee, gently squeezing it. Calanthe sighed to herself and took a silent deep breath.

“How do you find Cintra? Is it to… to your liking?” Calanthe asked. As soon as she spoke the words, she knew she did not sound sincere. She could barely say them, let alone make them sound convincing.

Duny looked stunned as he responded, “It is a wonderous city, your Majesty.”

“There is no need for the titles Duny, not when we are in a private setting.” There. Maybe that would help ease some tension. There were few in her life that were allowed to address her without royal decorum in private. The father of her grandchild might as well be one of them.

Mousesack and Pavetta sat in silence, their eyes constantly shifting from person to person.

Calanthe sat in silence herself then, only periodically taking small bites of food as everyone else ate. She was angry with herself. Why should she accept him? She knew nothing about this man, and she did not care to either. For all she knew one day she would wake and Pavetta would be gone, ushered away by Duny into the night. And her grandchild. How old would the babe be before the Witcher came back? He had promised her he would not come back, but she did not believe him as he said it and did not believe him now. Only two people on the Continent had earned Calanthe’s trust. Her husband, and her daughter. She would not trust Duny or the Geralt of Rivia as far as she could throw them. Calanthe could feel Eist put his hand gently on her thigh. Normally it would have aroused her, but she was too angry for that now.

Calanthe stood then, suddenly needing to hit something. Everyone in the hall stood after her, Mousesack dropped his fork from being startled, and Eist, who did not seem remotely surprised by Calanthe’s reaction, sat in silence eating his toast.

“Duny,” Calanthe said, staring daggers at him once again, “Meet me in the training yard in ten minutes.” And with that she stormed out of the room. If she could not make Duny disappear from her life, she would at least beat on him while he was in it.

\--

Calanthe could feel heat rising in her cheeks as she walked briskly, shaking in anger as she headed to the training yard. Apart of her knew her anger was extreme, but she did not care. She was never good at controlling her anger and that normally worked in her favor. It kept people in line, kept her a step ahead on the battlefield. Her anger would mix with her adrenaline, fulling her forward as she would fight.

When she reached the training yard, several young soldiers with wooden soldiers were sparring with their mentors as Vissegerd watched.

She saw the shock on their faces as she strode onto the training yard. Her breath was visible in the cold air. She should be cold, but her adrenaline was pumping now. Every man bowed his head to her, except for Vissegerd. He took to his knee to bow, as he always did.

Vissegerd was a good man, loyal to Cintra and loyal to Calanthe. He had served her father as a young squire, eventually working his way to becoming a knight and then in time, the high Cintran Marshall. Calanthe had trained with him when she was a girl, and he fought beside her in the Battle of Hochebuz.

“Vissegerd, I require two swords of fresh steel.” She said when she reached him. She had not meant for her voice to sound as harsh as it did.

Vissegerd stood then. She could see the confusion in his eyes.

“Your Majesty…”

“Now.”

Vissegerd bowed his head and immediately stepped towards the forge, picking up two swords that had been sharpened the previous day. Calanthe stood there, her head slightly bowed, glowering through her eyelashes, attempting to steady her breathe. She heard the footsteps then as Vissegerd brought the swords to her. She took one in each hand, feeling the weight of it as she grasped them. She turned then to see Duny standing in the training yard. He looked confused and scared. He looked defeated.

Calanthe tossed the sword to him. The soldiers in the yard quickly scurried back, leaving no one around Duny.

She watched as Duny caught the sword by the handle as she walked towards him. When he caught it, she waited until he had a firm grip on the handle, and then lunged. Duny seemed surprised at first, stepping aside and knocking her blade out of the way as he did.

“You Majes…” Duny said as Calanthe swung at him again. He blocked Calanthe’s blow again.

“No. You do not get to speak!” Calanthe screamed as she brought her sword over her head and brought it down. Duny must not have been anticipating how powerful his swing could be. Her blade hit his, bouncing slightly and slid down. She would have taken his hand off if it were not for the cross guard.

Duny reacted then, pulling his sword back and swinging towards her chest. Calanthe blocked the blow easily. “Why did you do it?” Calanthe screamed as Duny swung again. Calanthe blocked the bow again.

“Do what?” Duny shouted back as Calanthe lunged at him again. He dove out of the way this time to avoid her blow.

“The promise to the Witcher!” Calanthe yelled, standing still for a minute to take a deep breath. She knew there were others around, but she did not care. Not now.

Duny stopped and stood still as well. “Do you think I knowingly did that? I wanted to repay him, that was all! I did not know he would invoke the Law of Surprise.” Duny said, exasperated.

“Apparently that is the only way men know how to repay each other. By claiming people as their possessions.” Calanthe spat back.

Duny shook his head but quickly raised his sword as Calanthe swung again at him.

“I will not take Pavetta from you.” Duny said as their swords met, their faces close together as Calanthe pressed her blade against his.

Calanthe looked into his eyes for a moment. He looked sincere enough as he said it. Calanthe sneered as she pushed, causing Duny to stumble backwards. She brought her sword back and hit him in the back on the fuller side of her sword. Duny fell to the ground, but she had not cut him. He fell from the sheer weight of her strike against him.

Calanthe could hear Eist then, shouting at Vissegerd but could not make out what he was saying.

Duny stood and swung at Calanthe’s neck but she blocked the blow and spun, using the full force of her body to snap the sword to Duny’s opposite side, hitting him and sending him to the ground with the flat edge of her sword again.

Calanthe heard Pavetta then, distracting Calanthe enough that Duny’s sword knocked her off balance as he stood, swinging her. She fell to the ground as he raised his sword above his head. She rolled to the side and stood quickly and once again swung the flat edge of her sword into his side, one again sending him to the ground. Calanthe had lost count of the number of times she had put him there.

Duny stood, in a rage. Calanthe felt a smile creeping in the corner of her mouth. She loved fighting someone who did not give up, who challenged her. She respected his tenacity as they kept sparring. She knocked him back, causing him to stumble. Duny crouched as she swung her sword then, but her blow was quickly knocked aside as Duny’s fist made contact with the side of her stomach. Calanthe fell to her knees, holding herself up with her sword free hand. Her men never dared hit her when she trained with him, even though she insisted that when preparing for battle it was fine. Even though tears stung her eyes for a moment, she smiled to herself. At least Duny was not treating her differently even though she was Queen.

Calanthe noticed as Duny pulled the sword over his head. Before she could leap out of the way, Eist was there. She saw him barrel into Duny, sending them both into a column. Calanthe stood then, using her sword to help her stand.

“What the fuck are you…” Duny yelled at Eist.

“Enough!” Eist bellowed. “Dueling the Queen is one thing, attempting to kill her is another!”

Calanthe stared at Eist, who had his back to her, standing in between her and Duny. He had pried Duny’s sword from his hand and held it up to his neck. Skelligan fury was legendary all over the Continent, but she had never witnessed it herself. Calanthe could not remember the last time she heard a man so angry as her husband screamed at Duny.

“I wasn’t going to kill her! At the rate she was going she would have knocked me on my ass again!” Duny yelled back.

Eist turned then to face Calanthe. Her side was already sore with pain, but she was fine otherwise.

“Are you hurt?” Eist asked her softly as he walked to her.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said, still looking at Duny.

She watched as Eist turned back to Duny, who took a step towards them.

Eist stood up straight, staring at Duny. “Take one more step and I will punch you in the face.”

Calanthe half rolled her eyes as she walked behind Eist. He was over reacting. Calanthe had never felt she was in danger. Duny would already be dead if she did. She whispered, “Stop. We were sparring. I’m fine.”

Duny looked down at his feet. “I told you I would not have struck her.”

“I’m impressed, Prince Duny. It’s been a long time since a man has gotten the better of me.” Calanthe said, nodding to him.

Duny nodded back but did not say anything. Calanthe turned and walked to Vissegerd and handed him her sword and then walked out of the training yard without saying a word.

Calanthe left the training yard and quickly made her way to her their chambers. She felt better, her anger for Duny subsiding with each step. Her husband was causing other emotions. On one hand it was sweet, the way he threw himself at Duny to protect her. On the other hand, she did not need protecting. What would he do when they went into battle? Calanthe shook her head as she walked. She was not sure if she was more pleased or annoyed with her husband.

\--

Calanthe stripped her dress and boots off and climbed into the tub after she regretfully requested Yuri come to her chambers to fill it full of steaming water for her.

She had just climbed in when she heard Eist enter their privy chamber.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked.

“You already asked me that.” Calanthe said, resting her head back against the tub.

“No, I asked if you were hurt.” Eist said walked behind Calanthe. She felt his hands rest on her shoulders.

“Why did you interfere?”

“Do you honestly expect me to do nothing if I think you are in danger?”

Calanthe did not answer. She thought of what she would do if she thought Eist was in danger. She could do the same for him, do anything to protect him from being hurt.

A few moments passed. Eist walked around the side of the tub, watching Calanthe.

“Are you getting in?” Calanthe asked as she observed her husband gazing at her, but not removing his clothes. It did not matter if she was mildly irritated with him. She wanted him in the tub with her.

“Do you want me too?”

Calanthe looked up at Eist, giving him a faint smile. “Of course I do.”

Eist quickly stripped his clothing off and climbed into the tub, sitting behind her. Once he was seated, she leaned back against his chest.

“You are too protective. What are you going to do when we go into battle together? Throw yourself in front of every swing and get yourself killed?” Calanthe asked as Eist’s arm reached around her, resting on her hip. She reached her hand down and took his hand in hers.

“What would you do, if I was on my knees and someone raised a sword over my head, ready to swing?”

Calanthe sat silent for a moment and sighed. “I would kill him. Except Duny was not going to strike me.”

Calanthe felt Eist kiss her gently on the side of her head. “From where I was standing, it certainly looked like he would. And your soldiers thought so too I might add. And yes, I will probably get myself killed trying to protect you.”

Calanthe gulped as a vision of Eist dying in battle flashed in mind. They were still newly wed, but the idea of being without Eist already brought dread to her. She sighed then and rolled her eyes, pushing the thought away. “I cannot appear weak in front of my men.”

Eist felt Calanthe pick up his hand that she was holding and kiss it.

“You do not appear weak, my love.”

Calanthe scoffed. “Tell that to the soldiers that watched.”

“I will if I need too.”

Calanthe shook her head, smiling. Eist would tell every single one of them and if they didn’t listen on their own accord, he would make them listen on his.

“Are you truly upset with me?” Eist asked as he traced her left arm with his fingers.

“No, of course I’m not.” Calanthe said, twisting herself just enough in his arms to kiss his scruffy jaw.

Eist smiled and rested his head against hers.

“I think you may have been right about Duny though.” Calanthe said.

“What do you mean?”

“I think I do like him after all.”

They both erupted into laughter as Eist wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight against him. Eist kissed her shoulder and trailed up to her neck. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	5. Chapter 3A - Eist

**Chapter 3A – Eist**

**Year 1249**

“You will be king, Eist it is decided.”

Eist was furious. His brother, the current King of the Skelligan Isles, had not made mention of this until now.

“You told me you requested that myself, the Queen, and our family travel to Kaer Trolde to celebrate our marriage and our alliance.”

“Which is all true.” Bran said.

Eist and Bran were inside the empty throne room at the Kaer Trolde palace. Bran sat, his arms crossed and legs spread wide. Bran was Eist’s elder brother and while the two shared similar passions and interests, the two could not look more differently. Bran was shorter than Eist, with hair that had turned white far too early given Bran’s age. Bran was stocky and huge, with big burly fists to match. Eist wished Calanthe was with him, but instead she was upstairs in their guest quarters, resting.

“Which is all true.” Eist said, mocking his brother. “Except you left out the part about their being a moot from the other Jarls that declared me King!”

Bran sat in silence as Eist yelled.

“How does this even make sense? I will be in Cintra from now on more than I will be here.”

“Skellige’s alliance with Cintra is crucial, but it is currently only a marriage alliance. You both know as well as I that those are considered fragile at best. However, if you are the King of Skellige and Queen Calanthe ascends to the title of Ard Rhena, we will have a mighty alliance that non would dare cross.”

Eist pursed his lips together. He knew his brother was not wrong, no matter how much he did not want to admit it.

“I don’t want this. I don’t even know if the Queen will want this.”

“The best rulers never seek power, Eist. Talk to your Queen, but she understands duty better than the rest of us from what I have heard. She will know that I am right.”

“And does your Queen know about this?”

“Birna? No, she does not. I appreciate the woman’s fervor for our son to become king, but that is not the Skellige way. I would much rather keep my kingdom safe than put it in jeopardy over a hereditary monarchy which she knows we do not have.”

Eist had never liked Birna. He was respectful of her as his brother’s wife and for her title of Queen, but she had always made him feel uneasy. Birna was not from Skellige and had never attempted to adapt to Skelligan ways, let alone understand them. Eist smiled for a moment to himself, remembering a few days ago when he walked into the sitting room and saw Calanthe reading a book on Skellige customs and traditions.

\--

_Eist had been at the harbor almost the entire day. It was three days until they were to set sail for Skellige. Eist wanted to assist as preparations were beginning for their journey._

_The sun was beginning to set when Eist realized how late it was. He had been away from his wife since before the sun rose and did not want to get back after it set. He thanked his men for their hard work as he quickly found his horse and rode back to the palace._

_The palace was quiet as he made his way to their chambers, taking his gloves and cape off as he walked. There were no banquets or feasts planned for the evening, which Eist was glad for. He wanted a quiet evening alone with his wife._

_When he entered their chambers, he was not sure if she would be happy to see him or upset that he had been gone the whole day, maybe both. When he pushed open the door he smiled. Calanthe was curled on the sofa closest to the fire in her robe, covered by a fur blanket. She was reading a book that as Eist walked closer he could make out as ‘Lineage, Customs, and Traditions of the Skelligan Isle’s’._

_Eist smiled again as he tossed his gloves and cloak on a nearby table. Calanthe looked up at him then and smiled herself. Eist quickly walked to her, bending down to softly kiss her._

_“I’m sorry I was gone for so long, my love.”_

_“It’s alright, don’t apologize. I know you have preparations to make.”_

_Yuri walked in then from the bedchamber, bowing as she approached Eist and Calanthe._

_“Everything is packed your Majesty, besides a few basics that I will pack before you leave. Now that the King is back, would you like me have dinner brought up?”_

_“Yes.” Calanthe said as Eist stood and turned to Yuri._

_“Your Majesty,” Yuri said, turning to Eist “Lanx took your boots to be cleaned and polished. Would you like me to ask him to not return until tomorrow or should he return them this evening?”_

_“Tomorrow will be fine, thank you. I’d rather not have any interruptions after our evening meal is brought up.” Eist said as he glanced behind him at Calanthe, winking, causing a playful eyeroll from her._

_Yuri bowed and excused herself then as Eist sat beside Calanthe, putting his arm around her shoulder as she leaned against him._

_“How is your book?” Eist asked as he turned his head to kiss Calanthe on the temple._

_“Interesting. Tell me darling, what costly gift did you have to give your first lover?” Calanthe asked as she smirked._

_“Ah, you read about that custom I see. It was my favorite horse.” Eist said, sounding irritated._

_Calanthe laughed lightly as she took his hand in hers. “I take it she was not worth your horse darling?”_

_“No, she was not. I loved that horse.”_

_“Well I’m glad of it. If she was worth it, you may still be with her.”_

_Eist scoffed. “I’m glad of it too. It seems I was destined to be someone far more illustrious than her.”_

_Eist could feel Calanthe smile against his chest as he kissed her temple again. He took a deep breath, inhaling the soft smell of juniper berries coming from his wife as he sighed and sat up then as Calanthe moved off of him. Eist stood, undoing the ties on his leather doublet as he asked, “What else did you learn?”_

_“Let’s see, I learned that if you die, I am expected to lay myself on the funeral pyre and burn to death.”_

_“No.” Eist interrupted. He could sense the sarcasm and humor in Calanthe’s voice, but he did not care. The idea of Calanthe burning to death brought a sickening pain to his chest. “No, you would not. You are a ruling monarch in your own right. You would not do that.”_

_“I was going to just simply suggest that you not die anytime soon.” Calanthe said as Eist turned to her._

_“I think I can handle that, my love.” Eist said as he pulled his doublet off and leaned down to kiss her again._

_Just then a knock was at their door, announcing the arrival of their dinner. Eist opened the door as Calanthe kept reading her book._

_After their food was served, Eist turned to Calanthe who had a wicked grin on her face as she read._

_“Now what did you read?”_

_“According to your bloodline, apparently you have giants blood in your veins.”_

_Eist crossed his arms, smirking, as he wondered what she was getting at. “That’s what they say.”_

_Calanthe looked up then from her book, meeting his eyes. She smirked back at him as her eyes trailed down, ending at his groin. “Well I can speak from experience and confirm what this book says about your lineage, my darling. You do indeed have giants blood in your veins.”_

\--

Bran stood and walked to Eist.

“Besides Eist, we both know in the end that this will have little effect on you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“The Lioness will rule Skellige. She is a respected and feared monarch, and you have no taste for ruling. Talk to your Queen. We will speak more after dinner.”

And with that Bran left the room, leaving Eist standing there alone with his thoughts.

\--

Eist found Calanthe asleep where he had left her. She looked peaceful, lying on her side against the fur pillows with her hair billowed around her, covered in blankets. Upon their arrival at Kaer Trolde, Eist took Calanthe to their guest quarters after introducing her to his brother and his wife. Their journey had taken place overnight in hopes of not mixing with Pavetta’s morning sickness. 

It was just after the eighth evening bell when Eist and Calanthe made their way to the main hall in the Cintran palace. Soon they were joined by Pavetta, Duny, Mousesack, and several courtiers as they prepared to leave for Skellige.

“Vissegerd,” Calanthe went to him as Eist began having the courtiers begin getting into the carriages for the ride to the harbor. “If anything goes amiss, send word to Kaer Trolde. I will return at once.”

Vissegerd laughed. “I will my Queen, but you will only be gone a week. I suspect everything will be fine, Majesty.”

Calanthe smiled as the white-haired Marshall bowed and stepped back as Pavetta approached.

“Are you ready, Mother? It is all very exciting isn’t it?”

Calanthe could see the glint in her daughters’ eye. Pavetta loved seeing new places and was thrilled at the idea of visiting Skellige.

“I am Sweetheart. How are you feeling? Are you sick?”

“No and I did not get sick this morning. I think Eist is right, as long as we get there in the morning, I should be fine.”

Mousesack approached then, holding several vials out to Calanthe. “Take these your Majesty. If sea sickness sets in these will help ease your symptoms.”

\--

Calanthe took off her gloves and travel cloak, tossing them over one of the chairs as she sat on the bed in their bedchamber on the ship. It was cooler than Calanthe anticipated. The water coming off the sea was cold as it hit the windows in their cabin and there was no fire in their room save for a few lit candlesticks.

“How are you feeling so far my love?” Eist asked as he removed his cloak.

“Fine so far. I hope Pavetta is feeling alright.”

“I’m sure she’s fine, and if not, she has the potions Mousesack made for her.” Eist said as he put his arm around his wife and kissed the side of her head.

Eist had several salted meats, cheeses, bread, and beer brought for them to eat.

“How are you feeling now?” Eist asked as he ate a slice of ham as he held Calanthe’s hand sitting at a small table in their quarters. They had set sail over an hour ago.

Calanthe playfully rolled her eyes, “I am still fine, darling.”

Eist smiled softly at her, squeezing her hand.

“So are you excited for tomorrow.” Calanthe asked him as she squeezed his hand in return.

Eist smiled. “Yes, I am my love. I can’t wait for you to see the castle at Kaer Trolde. It’s built right into the mountain, similar to Cintra…”

Eist could not help it, he just kept telling his wife everything he wanted to do with her and show her.

Soon, with the both of them tired, they took off their clothes and crawled into bed. Eist found that once he was there, he was not tired anymore. They were lying on their sides, Calanthe curled into his chest with his arms around her. Eist began to stroke his fingers lightly down her back. Calanthe had joked with him before that when she felt his fingers run down her back that way, it meant he wanted to make love to her. She wasn’t wrong. So Eist kept stroking up and down her back, occasionally dipping down to curve over her buttocks. It only took a few times for Calanthe to stir and wrap her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately.

They rocked together slowly as he entered her, timing his thrusts with the steady rocking of their ship on the cold autumn water.

“You have good rhythm, my King.” Calanthe whispered in his ear huskily as she ran her hands through his hair, griping softly. He gently wrapped his hands around her upper arms, holding onto her as he thrusted.

After a few minutes, Eist’s hand trailed down, stroking her clit. He smiled as Calanthe’s hips quickly jerked against him as he rolled and pinched her clit in his fingers. She came as Eist stroked her, feeling her body shake and go limp as her orgasm washed over her. Eist slowed his thrusts, caressing her tongue with his, going slow and steady until Calanthe was able to lift her head and smile to him.

“Wrap your legs around me.” Eist said as he put his hands under her buttocks, raising her upward as he felt her legs wrap around his waist. He sat up on his knees, pulling Calanthe closer to him, moving in slow, steady, and gentle thrusts. He adjusted Calanthe again, moving his arms to her thighs and raising her a little higher. Then he found the spot he was looking for. Reaching one arm under her to support her, he moved his hand once again to stroke her clit as he hit the sweet spot he was aiming for. Calanthe was soon whimpering, her hips bucking uncontrollably, her cries for him steadily become louder.

Eist quickened his pace as thrust himself into her, the gentleness from a few moments ago gone. Eist watched as Calanthe arched her back and felt her lock her legs tighter around his waist. Her entire body was lifted off the bed now, locked around him and in his arms, except for her head. The low, primal moans started first, then quickly turned into cries that could have been mistaken for screams while she shouted his name. Then the familiar flush on her chest began to appear as he felt her begin to quiver and tighten around him. She squirted suddenly, Eist could feel it against his member inside her. He willed himself to pull out then, soaking his stomach. Her legs cramped harder around him, attempting to pull him back in as he felt her toes curl as her feet retested against his back. The flushing spread to her cheeks as Eist saw her eyes roll in the back of her head, her hips jerking wildly into his. The scream she let out was loud and glorious.

After the squirting stopped, Eist entered her again, slowing his thrusts, focusing instead on continuing to rub her clit. He was greeted with low moans and hips jerking as her legs fell from his waist. He gently laid her down as he pulled out of her, bending down to kiss her clit like so many times before.

He kissed it once then whispered “I love you” against it, and then kissed it again, flicking his tongue over of it. Her hips bucked up at him as she softly cried out to him. Eist could feel her hand fall against his shoulder. He looked up as Calanthe smiled at him softly as he crawled up her, taking her into his arms and kissing her slowly and passionately. Eist broke away first, resting his cheek against hers for a few moments. He had not had his release yet. Half of him wanted to take her again and finish right then and there but seeing his wife orgasm like that drove him wild. He would push through the entire night on the edge himself to watch her do that over and over.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered in his ear, kissing him there. Eist could feel her hands make their way up his back, wrapping around the back of his neck as she ran her fingers through his hair. Eist raised himself up on his elbows, looking into her eyes as he did. He could only see her through the flicker of candlelight, but her eyes seemed to burn for him through the darkness.

“Will you do that again for me?” He asked as he bent down, kissing the tender spot between her neck and shoulders.

“Yes.” Her response was low, guttural, and full of need for him.

Eist kissed her one more time and then picked himself off of her.

“Roll over my love.” Eist said as he put his hands on her side, guiding her over.

“Will you be able to get on your knees?” Eist asked as she laid on her stomach for a moment. She nodded then, raising herself to her knees as she bent over, her head pressed against the pillow in front of her. Her arms bent at the elbows, palms resting on the bed. They had not tried this position before. Eist first felt between her legs, grazing over her clit, which elicited a moan, and then to her lips making sure she was still wet. Eist was pleased to feel she was not just wet, she was dripping.

He put his hands on her hips, bracing himself as he entered her again. He moaned himself, feeling her warmth around him, pulling him in. He curved himself slightly over her, looking for the familiar position he needed to be in to hit just the right spot. Meanwhile he began lightly strumming his fingers over her clit, causing Calanthe to cry out and buck her hips away from him. Eist smiled as he guided her buttocks back up in the air and pushed himself inside again. It did not take long for Eist to graze against that familiar spot inside of the Queen. Her moans quickly turned to soft cries as Eist thrusted faster, pounding himself in and out of her. Eist was getting too close to the edge, so he suddenly pulled out entirely, panting as he held her hips with his hands.

“Eist?” he could hear Calanthe weakly whisper.

“I’m sorry my love I just need a moment.”

Eist rubbed her back gently and after a moment, pushed himself back in her completely, Calanthe screaming as he did. He then pulled out of her. His next thrust was quick and rough as he slammed himself into her and pulled himself out. The next thrust caused Calanthe to squirt all over the bed. Her screams and moans filled the room as it did the last time, her body shaking so much that the only thing holding her up was Eist’s arms. Eist could feel sweat running down his back as his thrusts slowed and he laid Calanthe down, her body still spasming from the pleasure she had just experienced.

His member was purple now, pulsating and beginning to drip. He laid down on her back, kissing her shoulder as she turned her head to face him.

“One more my love?”

Calanthe said nothing but nodded yes, smiling softly. Eist got back on his knees and put Calanthe so her entire body rested on the bed except for her buttocks, that was raised in the air as high as it could go. This time there were not gentle thrusts. All of them were quick and rough as he thrusted deeply and then would pull out just enough so the tip remained inside, and then slam back inside again. Her cries and moans were weak as her hips bucked once again as his hand reached under her and stroked her.

“Are you close?” Eist asked as he laid himself against her back.

“Yes.” He could barely hear her response as he kissed her cheek, and then her lips.

He began to thrust harder, pounding into her, feeling his own release close. He was too far gone, he could not stop it now.

“Cum for me.” Eist whispered, slamming his hips into her.

He then adjusted his hips, slightly raising them to hit her spot with his penis. Calanthe’s scream was weaker, but she screamed non the less when Eist hit her spot. Eist came hard inside of her, screaming her name as her juices sprayed on his member as he pulled out completely and then stuffed himself back in.

When the waves from their orgasms stopped, they were both covered in sweat. Calanthe stayed lying on her stomach, with no energy to move or roll over. Eist pulled out of her and then collapsed, lying on top of her. Her head turned to his as he kissed her softly. Eist was so close to her that their noses were touching as he began to stroke the back of Calanthe’s head. Soon he heard her soft snoring start, so soft he could barely hear it.

“I love you.” Eist said, feeling himself drift off to sleep.

\--

Calanthe had slept well into the morning before their arrival in Kaer Trolde but she was still having trouble waking up. When she finally rose from their bed to dress, Eist noticed her lack of strength, how pale she looked, and the dark circles under her eyes. Upon their arrival to their guest quarters, Eist quickly dismissed the servants Bran had provided for them before they could even introduce themselves. Eist sat her on the bed and bent down to pull her boots off, then untied her cloak from around her neck and pulled her dress over her head before he picked her up and laid her down, tucking her in. Calanthe was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Eist stood, running his hand through his hair. He did not understand the sudden bought of fatigue that had taken over Calanthe, who was normally full of energy. He walked over to the balcony then and pushed the doors open, closing them behind him. The wind was still strong off the coast. Eist smiled as the smell of salt washed over him as he looked out of Kaer Trolde. He could see the ship he had commissioned months ago being finished at the port below. He wanted to take Calanthe to see it when she felt better. He looked around more, looking over the farms that were visible in the distance and the mountain that the castle jutted out of. He had missed this place.

He went back in their bedchamber then, and back to his sleeping wife. It would be a few hours before Eist and Calanthe would meet with Bran for their midday meal. Eist had intended on reading when he laid down beside Calanthe but sleep quickly took him too.

\--

Eist could hear knocking at their door, waking him. Eist raised his head and looked over at Calanthe first, who was still fast asleep. Eist blinked heavily then, rubbing is eyes before running his hands through his hair. He stood and went to the door to find Mousesack there.

“Are you coming to the midday meal, Majesty?” Mousesack asked while bowing.

“No, I don’t think we will be. The Queen is… well I don’t think she is feeling well.”

“Would you like to see her?”

“No, at least not at the moment. She is asleep and I don’t want to disturb her. Can you make our excuses to Bran? I will see him as soon as possible, I just don’t want her to wake and be alone.”

“Of course, your Majesty. I will request that food be brought to you at once. And if you would like me to see the Queen just ask.”

“Thank you. How did Pavetta fare by the way?”

“She is fine. She did not become sick once. She is having a great time your Majesty. The Isle’s seem to agree with her, and with the Prince for that matter.”

Eist smiled and nodded. At least Pavetta was feeling alright. Mousesack bowed then and walked away as Eist shut the door. When he turned, Calanthe was just beginning to wake as he saw her hand stretch out, reaching across the bed, searching for him. Eist crossed the room quickly and sat on the bed, taking her hand in his. Eist watched as Calanthe smiled and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes still held some blue underneath them, but her color had returned. She looked better than she did earlier in the day at least.

“How are you feeling, my love?” Eist asked as he leaned down and kissed her.

Calanthe softly moaned into his lips as he did. “A little better. I am hungry though.” Calanthe said through stretches. “What time is it?”

“The middle of the afternoon.”

“What?”

Eist leaned down and kissed her again. “You’ve been asleep for a few hours. Mousesack is having our midday meal brought here for us.”

“We were supposed to eat with your brother.” Calanthe said as she lifted herself onto her elbows.

“Yes, but that was before you barely had the energy to walk off of our ship. It’s fine my love, we will dine with him tonight.”

Eist rubbed her shoulder as Calanthe sat glowering to herself.

“Have you seen Pavetta? Is she okay?”

“I have not seen her but Mousesack said she did well. She apparently likes it here.” Eist said as he smiled at Calanthe.

Their food soon arrived and Eist was glad to see that Calanthe’s strength slowly returning.

“Have you ever played chess?” Eist asked Calanthe while they ate.

“No, I’ve never heard of it.”

“Would you like to learn how to play? It involves a lot of strategy, I think you’ll like it.”

Calanthe smiled. “Alright.”

As they finished their meal, Eist stood, closed his eyes, and stretched as Calanthe rose from where they sat by the fire, the blanket that she used to cover herself falling to floor as she stood. He had been intent on searching the palace for a chess board. That was until he opened his eyes again.

Eist’s eyes darkened as he watched her walk away from him as she stretched herself. She turned then, facing him. Eist could not help it as his eyes trailed her body, hungrily looking over every curve until he was pulling her into him, not even entirely sure how he got to so close to her. He could feel her clutching at him as he guided her to their bed, lying her back against it. Eist could feel himself straining against his pants as Calanthe’s tongue dueled against his. It was as if Calanthe could read his mind as her hands soon began to pull at the tie on his pants, reaching her hand down and grabbing ahold of him roughly. Eist grunted as he lifted his hips, pulling his pants down as Calanthe glided her hand up and down him.

Eist groaned when Calanthe let go of him. He could feel her hands roughly pulling at the ties on his doublet them, determined to get it off him. Eist laughed as he sat up and quickly removed his doublet and his linen shirt as Calanthe grabbed his penis again, pumping him. Eist was soon naked and kissing his wife’s neck as his fingers found her soaking center and gently flicked at her lips. Calanthe cried out when Eist pushed two fingers in her at once, feeling her stretch around him as she moaned. He sat up then, using one hand to pump his fingers in and out of her and the other hand to flick, twist, pull, and caress her clit. Eist picked up the speed of his inserted fingers rapidly, curling them as he went. Soon he could hear Calanthe becoming slick as she began to scream and arch her back. Eist pulled his fingers out and held her thighs open as her juices sprayed out, covering the bed. After a few squirts, she fell back into the bed, shaking as the spasms from her orgasm racked her body.

He was down between her legs then, licking her with his tongue to taste her. His mouth found her clit then and greedily sucked it as she cried out. While he inserted his fingers inside her again, the other hand snaked up her body until he found her breast, kneading it gently in his hand. Calanthe gasped as his fingers found a hard nipple and flicked at it. Calanthe squirted into Eist’s mouth, screaming as Eist’s fingers pumped in and out of her with his tongue flicking her clit and his fingers flicking her nipple.

“Eist.”

His name was soft on her lips as he kissed her clit over and over. Her groans were loud as she tried to roll her hips from him, but he grabbed them and held her there.

“Eist please. It hurts.”

She was so breathless he almost didn’t hear her. He climbed up her then, taking her face in his hands.

“What hurts my love? What’s wrong?” Eist asked as he pressed his forehead to hers.

“I’m fine now,” Calanthe said as she tried to calm her breathing. “I just needed a break from your relentless kisses.”

Eist chuckled and nodded as he held her while she caught her breath as he stayed lying against her, their foreheads still pressed together. Soon Calanthe leaned up and kissed him.

“How do you want me?” She whispered as she kissed him again.

Eist groaned as he felt his penis throb.

Eist sat up on his knees, lifting Calanthe’s legs in the air to rest against his shoulders. He guided himself in her then, pushing just his head in at first as she gasped. Eist pulled back and pushed himself halfway in, eliciting a groan, and then pulled out and pushed all of him in, hearing her scream. Soon he was thrusting madly in and out of her as his fingers grazed her clit. He could hear Calanthe whimpering with each thrust and soon felt the familiar sensation inside of her as she became wet. Eist pulled out as Calanthe squirted, covering him in her juices, screaming as her legs spasmed and began to fall away from Eist. He grabbed them roughly and pounded into her so hard she had to grip the bed to stop herself from being moved on it. Eist came hard as he pushed himself into her completely, feeling his cum spill inside of her.

Calanthe’s legs slid from Eist’s shoulders as he finished spasming inside of her. Eist rolled over, reaching for Calanthe and pulling her into his arms.

“You are absolutely wonderful.” Eist said as Calanthe laid her head against his chest.

“So are you.” Calanthe moaned into his chest.

Eist could feel Calanthe shiver against him as he leaned up and pulled the blankets over them.

Calanthe was soon asleep with Eist drifting off not long after her.

\--

Eist woke a few hours later, well in time for dinner. He smiled to himself as he stretched his legs as Calanthe slept down the center of him, head on his chest, their stomachs pressed together, his legs parted for her to lie in between. He began to trace both hands up and down her back, barely touching her with his fingertips, hoping to gently coax her away. It did not work.

After a while Eist began to say Calanthe’s name, gently shaking her to rouse her. Calanthe barely moaned when his shaking before more urgent. _Why was she not waking?_

After a few more minutes, Calanthe began to blink as she opened her eyes, although it looked as if she could not focus on what was going on around her.

“My love, are you alright?” Eist asked gently when her eyes fell on his.

Calanthe only blinked as she stared into his eyes.

“My love, are you okay? We need to wake up.”

Calanthe blinked again and lightly shook her head, closing her eyes and pressing herself against his chest.

Eist began to lightly shake Calanthe again as he heard a knock at their door.

“Your Majesty, I have your trunks for you.” Mousesack said from outside their door.

“Hang on a moment!” Eist said, sighing as he quickly stood, moving Calanthe to rest on the bed. Eist turned and pulled the blankets high up on Calanthe, threw his linen shirt and pants on and then opened the door.

“Where you would you like your trunks?” Mousesack asked. There were 6 in total between Eist and Calanthe, and they were all being carried by two Skelligan’s each.

“Wait here.” Eist said as he quickly went back to the bedchamber door and pulled it shut. He walked back then and motioned to an empty wall.

“Just stack them there.”

When the trunks were all in the room, Eist asked Mousesack to stay behind. When the rest of the Skelligan’s left, Eist closed the door behind them.

“I’ve changed my mind. There is something wrong with the Queen. There must be.”

“What ails her Majesty?”

“I don’t know. She woke for a little around lunch time and after she ate, she seemed to gain some strength back. Now she can barely open her eyes again.”

“Let’s go back to the beginning. Was she not feeling well before this morning? Was she sick yesterday, did she eat something that upset her?”

“Not that I know of. She seemed fine.”

“And she did not get seasick?”

“No, she… she slept most of the voyage.”

Mousesack nodded.

“And today, after she ate, she just fell back asleep?”

Eist did not say anything as he looked down at his feet.

“Your Majesty if there is something you’re not telling me you need too, otherwise I may not be able to properly diagnose her.”

Eist sighed. “We slept together.”

“Okay, when?”

“On the voyage over here, on the ship.”

“Okay.”

“And this afternoon after we ate.”

Mousesack nodded. “I am sorry for the intrusive question I am about to ask, but does the Queen… I am sorry but does the Queen enjoy it?”

Eist looked at Mousesack and thought about punching him in the face. “Of course, she enjoys it! What are you asking exactly?”

“Does the Queen have a release?”

“Excuse me?”

“Does the Queen orgasm?” Mousesack asked, his face turning bright red as he asked the question and looked away from Eist.

“Be careful, Mousesack. What does that have to do with her fatigue?” Eist asked, glowering at Mousesack.

“Orgasms effect people in different ways. If you slept with the Queen last night and this afternoon and she orgasmed heavily, that may simply be why she has no energy.”

Eist took a deep breath and looked over, staring into the fire. Calanthe would kick his ass the whole way back to Cintra for having this conversation with Mousesack.

“Is there anything else?” Mousesack asked. Eist noticed how uncomfortable he looked.

“She, she… squirts. Often. Could that have anything to do with this?”

Mousesack’s face turned redder than before. “Is she drinking water?”

“No, we normally drink beer or wine.”

“She needs water, otherwise she could suffer from dehydration. I will also ask the kitchens to give her foods with more iron in her diet. But your Majesty, leave her rest for the night, even if she is asking you not too.”

Eist could not help the laugh that escaped him.

“That’s easier said than done.”

Mousesack nodded. “I will make an elixir for her, it should help with her energy. There is nothing wrong with what the two of you are doing, but just know that somedays this is the effect that it will have on her. The traveling I’m sure did not help either. It can wear the best sailor out.”

Eist nodded as Mousesack went to leave.

“Mousesack, this conversation…”

“Never happened. You have my word.”

Just as Mousesack turned to leave Eist asked, “What did you mean by leaving her alone, even if she asks me not too?”

“The Queen told me that you two were trying to conceive. I assure you that letting her rest for the night will not make a difference.”

Eist did not say anything as Mousesack left. He returned to Calanthe then, who was still sleeping. Eist sighed to himself, looking over his wife who had not told that she wanted a child. He stripped his clothes back off and laid himself down, pulling Calanthe against him. She shifted for a moment in his arms, waking slightly and then quickly falling back asleep when she became comfortable. Having a child with his wife was of course always going to be a possibility, but it terrified him. He had seen the raw power from Pavetta at her betrothal feast and knew from himself the anger and temperament that resided inside of the Skelligan people.

He tried not to imagine what someone with Pavetta’s magical powers and Skelligan fury could do, what they would be capable of. Eist looked down then, at the woman curled into his arms. He could not deny her anything. They were married less than a month and Eist had already given all of himself to this woman and would do so a hundred times over. How could he ever deny her a child?

\--

Calanthe managed to wake before dinner. Eist carried her to their tub and bathed her himself as he practically forced her to drink an entire pitcher of water.

“Darling, I cannot drink anymore. Why the sudden urge for me to drink water anyway? You know I prefer beer.” Calanthe said, leaning over the tub to set her goblet on the ground.

“You need it.” Eist said as pushed his hands over the Queen’s scalp, scrubbing with his fingertips.

Calanthe moaned as he washed her hair. “Since when do I need it?”

Eist did not say anything as he continued to wash her hair. He picked up a bucket of water, pouring it down the back of her head. After a few more buckets, Eist picked up the shower rag and began to wash Calanthe’s shoulders.

He heard another moan escape her lips as she leaned forward and he washed her back. Eist took the rag then and moved to her chest, washing above her breasts when her hand wrapped around his wrist. Soon Eist was being pulled down as Calanthe kissed him frantically, attempting to pull him into the tub. Eist stopped her soon, pulling away from her kisses.

Eist could see Calanthe was furious. Neither one of them had refused each other before.

“What are you doing?” Calanthe asked as angry tears formed in her eyes.

“My love, I’m sorry. I just think maybe we should slow down. At least just for the night.”

“Slow down? It is a little late for that!”

Eist sighed. There would never be a good time to tell her about his conversation with Mousesack, but he would not keep it from her.

“My love I had a conversation with Mousesack earlier, about you.”

Calanthe’s brow furrowed but she did not say anything.

“I was worried for you. You weren’t waking…”

“What did you talk about, Eist?”

“He suggested that you may need a break from our… lovemaking.”

“What?” Calanthe asked.

Eist could not tell which emotion she was feeling more. She looked equally furious, irritated, and confused.

“Apparently the squirting that you do can cause dehydration…”

“How does he know about that?” Calanthe screamed as she turned from Eist, putting her head in her hands.

Eist immediately regretted his decision on telling Calanthe about his conversation with Mousesack.

“I’m sorry. You were scaring me. I’ve never seen you as weak as you were.”

“Come here.” Calanthe said from where she sat in the tub, her head still in her hands.

When Eist approached her, crouching to be at her eyelevel, he noticed how red Calanthe’s face was when she removed her head from her hands.

“What else did he say?” Calanthe asked as she reached out from the tub and took his hand in hers.

“Nothing really. He wants you to get more iron in your diet. The only thing he suspected may be causing your fatigue is how much you… orgasm.”

Eist was worried by the face he received that Calanthe would slap him.

“So, you felt it was appropriate to have a conversation with the druid about how much I orgasm and squirt when you and I make love?” She let go of his hand then. “Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is?”

“I’m sorry but please don’t be embarrassed. Why should you be? My love he will not tell anyone, and I promise you have nothing to be embarrassed over.”

Calanthe pulled away from Eist when he reached for her hand in the tub. Eist sighed.

“He is why your trying to drown me with a pitcher of water then?”

Eist nodded as Calanthe began to laugh. Eist looked at her and smirked. He was not sure how to feel. He knew from experience Calanthe had either already moved on or was so angry she was laughing about it. The latter was terrifying.

“You promise he won’t tell anyone?”

“I promise. He is loyal, besides I think the conversation left him rather embarrassed.”

Calanthe laughed again. “Good, because otherwise I will have to kill him.”

Eist laughed with her and then stopped, remembering his conversation with Bran earlier. With everything else going on he had almost forgotten about it.

“There is something else.”

“What, did Mousesack have any suggestions on the next position that we try?”

Eist smiled as he stood as he made his way back to Calanthe, picking up where he stopped washing her.

“No, it’s about Bran.”

\--

Eist and Calanthe made their way arm-in-arm to dinner. The night chill had set in, causing both of them to dress much warmer than they would in Cintra. Eist wore a leather doublet with matching leather pants, a fur lined Cintran blue cape and lace up boots. Calanthe wore a velvet dress with fur trimmings and a fur lined collar and lace up boots. She also wore a Cintran cape and her gold and sapphire circlet crown.

They stood outside the banquet hall. Eist felt sick standing there and did not want to admit to himself that Calanthe was helping him stand. He did not want this.

The herald announced their arrival then.

“All rise for their Majesties, the Lioness, Queen Calanthe of Cintra and King Eist of Cintra!”

“It will be done soon.” Eist could here Calanthe whisper to him as they began to walk towards the end of the hall where their seats were. Eist was thankful for her hand that wrapped around his as they walked.

“Brother!” Bran said as he stood from the high table. “Your Majesty,” Bran said as he bowed his head to Calanthe, breaking royal decorum. Monarchs were not supposed to bow to each other. “I am glad to see you are feeling better. My brother refused to leave your side earlier while you were ill.”

“Thank you. I am sorry for not being able to attend the midday meal,” Calanthe said as Eist guided her to her seat beside Bran and pulled her chair out before a servant was there to do it. “It seems I was rather dehydrated.” Calanthe said loud enough for Mousesack, turning her head towards the druid that sat with Pavetta and Duny at a table that was off to the side of the room. Eist glanced up at Mousesack as Calanthe spoke and noticed the druid turn red again and look down at his plate.

“Ah well sailing can take a lot out of someone, especially if they are not familiar with it.” Bran said jovially.

Calanthe turned her gaze to Bran and smiled. “Of course.”

Their meal was soon served, consisting of various types of fish and vegetables.

Eist was seated at the far left of the table, next to Calanthe, who sat next to Bran and then Birna. He was happy for it. He was too frustrated to speak to Bran. Eist sat in silence, listening to the conversation Calanthe was having with Bran.

“So, has my brother spoken to you?”

“About?”

“About the Skelligan throne.” Bran said carefully.

“Ah that. Yes, he has.” Calanthe said as she took a bite of haddock.

“And?”

“And my King is not happy about it.”

“I am well aware of his unhappiness, but do you disagree that this would be good for Skellige or Cintra for that matter?”

Calanthe took a measured breath.

“No, I do not disagree. However, I am trying to understand how this will work.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning what is the expectation? Are we to rule from Cintra? From here?”

“You can rule from wherever you like. Eist’s title of Jarl will go to Crach, the moot has already taken place for that as well. He will keep the military in line, which will keep the kingdom in line. Besides yourself and Eist are well respected on the Isle’s. You will not have trouble ruling, even if it is from Cintra.”

Eist looked over as Calanthe nodded and turned to him. Eist sighed and nodded back.

“When will the accession take place?”

“Before you return to Cintra. Eist will be declared King, and you Ard Rhena.”

“Ard Rhena?”

“It means High Queen in elder speech.” Eist said before Bran could.

\--

Bran had left the table to join one of his concubines to dance. Eist glanced over as Queen Birna stood and excused herself to her chambers. She never stayed at a banquet when Bran turned his attention to his concubines. Pavetta stood then, taking Duny’s hand as they joined the dance as well. Eist smiled as Pavetta and Duny laughed while they danced.

“Who is that with Bran?” Calanthe asked as she adjusted her chair to sit closer to Eist. Eist adjusted how he sat as well, leaning towards her.

“One of his many concubines. My brother gets bored easily.”

“Ah that’s right I almost forgot, having concubines, mistresses, and even multiple wives is widely accepted on the Isle’s.” Calanthe said, looking at the dancers.

Eist responded with a soft snort.

“And what about you, my King?”

Eist glanced over at Calanthe.

“Are you bored?”

“Far from it.” Eist said as he smiled and looked away, taking her hand under the table.

“And will you continue your brother’s tradition when you are declared King? Will you take any additional wives or concubines that I should be aware of?”

Eist took Calanthe’s hand from under the table and kissed it. “No, my love, I am far too in love with you.” Calanthe laughed lightly as Eist continued to kiss her hand. “Besides, I don’t think I have the stamina to keep up with anyone else.”

Calanthe burst out loud with laughter at that. “I’d hope not.” She leaned into Eist then as she whispered into his ear. “Let’s go to bed. I’d like you to wear me out again.”


	6. Chapter 3B - Calanthe

**Chapter 3A – Calanthe**

**Year 1249**

Calanthe woke suddenly, reaching for Eist, only to find herself alone in bed. She sat there for a moment and then remembered that Eist was going down to the harbor to prepare for their journey to Skellige. Calanthe sighed as she rolled her head to the side, stretching her neck. She stood then, covered herself with her robe and headed to the sitting room where she found Yuri and Maren lying out some of her jewels, attempting to decide which ones should be packed for Skellige.

“What time did the King leave?” Calanthe asked as she crossed the room, sitting on a sofa.

“We were not aware that he was gone. He must have left before we arrived, your Majesty.”

Calanthe nodded as she eyed the jewels laid out. “The gold circlet crown with blue sapphires. Make sure you pack that.”

And with that Calanthe stood, walking back to her privy chamber. She washed herself quickly and put on a simple dress boots before she made her way to the royal archives.

Most of the books that had been collected had been done so under the reign of her grandfather, King Corbett. Calanthe did not care much for books and archives and only read them sparingly. It took the assistance of a palace aid to find the book she was looking for, Customs and Traditions of the Skelligan Isle’s. Calanthe left the library then and headed for the private banquet hall where she found Pavetta, Duny, and Mousesack still eating.

Calanthe waved them off when she entered, stopping them from standing and bowing. She started her morning conversations as she always did, “How are you feeling Pavetta?”

“Good. I slept through the whole night. Mousesack’s elixir certainly seems to be helping.”

“Good.” Calanthe said, smiling at her daughter and then to Mousesack.

“A new shipment of bows have arrived from Kaedwen.” Duny said, speaking up from beside Pavetta.

“Good. I need to learn how to shoot a bow one of these days.” Calanthe said before taking a bite of toast.

“I did not know you have never used a bow before.” Duny said thoughtfully.

“I attempted as a girl but quickly became frustrated and chose to master a sword instead. The rest is history.”

“Seems fitting that the Lioness carry a sword instead of a bow.”

Calanthe smiled and nodded. “Right you are Duny.”

“What book do you have there mother?” Pavetta asked, turning her head to attempt to read the title of the book that Calanthe had put on the chair that Eist normally sat on.

“Oh, it’s a book on Skelligan lineage, customs, and traditions.” Calanthe said, picking up the book and handing it to Pavetta.

“There is a lot in here,” Pavetta said, flipping through the pages. “Are you expected to learn all of this before our journey?”

“No,” Calanthe said, shaking her head and laughing as Pavetta handed to book back to her. “No but I would like to be prepared.”

\--

Calanthe took advantage of a day without meetings with advisors or appointments with ambassadors as she curled in front of the fire in the sitting room she shared with Eist. The book was full of traditions on how the Skellige’s crown was passed from person to person, not by blood but by a vote, as was the title of Jarl. Men were expected to give their first lover a costly gift of her choosing after they bedded her. Calanthe smirked at that. She would try to remember to ask Eist what gift he gave away.

She gulped when she read that Skelligan Queens were expected to lay on their husband’s funeral pile and burn alive after their husbands were killed. Calanthe then read her least favorite custom. A King was expected to have a Queen of course, but he would also take multiple wives if he chose and at least take several concubines. The purpose was to ensure a king’s appetite was sated, and to ensure that a male heir be borne, thus ensuring the clans survival that the king belonged too.

The book closed with a snap as Calanthe rose, stretching as she stood. Calanthe glanced out the window. It was only midday. After pacing the room for a few minutes, contemplating what she wanted to do, Calanthe finally left her chambers and made her way through the palace to find Mousesack in his.

\--

The air was cool as Calanthe laid in Eist’s arms that night. They had eaten in their quarters together and were preparing to leave for their journey in three days’ time. Eist had fallen asleep with his back propped against the pillows and Calanthe lying back against him in the crook of his shoulder. His head was turned towards her so she could feel his breath on her temple. His right arm was wrapped around her waist, his palm resting just under her breasts. She stroked his arm lightly with her fingers as she stared at the ceiling.

Calanthe could not get the thought out of her mind of wanting a child again. Admittedly, Eist and Calanthe had never spoken of children before they married. Calanthe had seen Eist around small children and while he tolerated them, he did not seem to enjoy their company. Calanthe had long pushed the idea away of having another child after Pavetta. Her physicians had written off her ability to have a child after her two miscarriages.

_Calanthe knocked when she arrived at Mousesack’s door, wringing her hands as she waited. After a few moments, the door opened. Mousesack seemed surprised to see the Queen. “Your Majesty,” He said, bowing his head deeply. “How may I serve you?”_

_Calanthe took a deep breath. “Can I come in?”_

_“Of course.” Mousesack said, stepping out of the doorway and motioning with his arm for Calanthe to enter._

_She made her way to a table with two chairs on either side and sat._

_“You are a healer, yes?” Calanthe asked, not looking at Mousesack._

_“Yes, I am.” Mousesack said, taking the seat across from her._

_Calanthe looked up then and nodded. “And you can be discreet?”_

_“Of course.”_

_“What do you know about conceiving a child?” Calanthe noticed that her question caught Mousesack off guard. “Not the actual act itself, but my ability to conceive a child.”_

_“What specifically is your concern?”_

_“Everything. It took two years to conceive Pavetta and I had two miscarriages after her and was not able to conceive again.”_

_“Do you still bleed?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“And were you… active with King Roegner after those miscarriages?”_

_Calanthe winced at the question. She was, but barely, and not always by her choosing._

_“In a way. Not regularly.”_

_Mousesack nodded. “Your Majesty, if you still bleed, I see no reason why you cannot have a child. Sure, there could be other obstacles and hidden conditions, but I see no evidence of that yet. Besides, the problem could have been with the King, not with you.”_

_Calanthe nodded._

_“Majesty are you trying to have a child with the King?”_

_Calanthe glared at Mousesack, irritated by the question. “Well I’m not trying to have a child with anyone else.”_

_“I apologize, I met no offense; it is just you and the King have not been married even a month. It could take a minimum of a year for you conceive. I would not worry just yet. How old you by the way?”_

_“Thirty-three.”_

_“Majesty you are plenty young yet to bear a child. Women twenty years older than you have birthed them before. Do not worry.”_

_Calanthe nodded and stood then._

_“Thank you Mousesack. I appreciate your guidance, and your discretion.”_

_“I am at your service, your Majesty.”_

_And with that Calanthe left Mousesack’s quarters and returned to her own._

Calanthe blinked as she was brought back to herself as Eist shifted slightly, his cheek now resting against her temple. She smiled to herself, feeling the warmth of him surround her more than it had before. Calanthe feel asleep soon with the thought of Eist cradling a babe in his arms.

\--

Calanthe supposed she had an addictive personality. She was addicted to power, to authority, to battle, to winning. She had never been timid, never been unsure of herself. And now she was sure that she was utterly addicted to her husband, but what was more was he seemed to be addicted to her as well. Especially when it came to what they did behind closed doors in their bedchamber.

The air was cold when they climbed into bed, taking off their clothes as they did. They were bound to come off at some point during the night anyway. Calanthe pressed herself against Eist’s chest as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him. For a moment, Calanthe closed her eyes try to sleep as the heat from her husband’s body warmed her. She felt Eist’s fingers ghost up and down her back, dipping over her buttocks. She knew what wanted and was happy to give it to him.

Calanthe uncurled herself, pulling away from his chest as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. Soon he was inside of her, matching his thrusts with the rocking of their ship. Calanthe’s head fell back as she gasped. She was amazed as to how good he felt in her, at how he filled her, making her eyes roll in the back of her head.

“You have good rhythm, my King.” Calanthe whispered in huskily into Eist’s ear as she ran her hands through his hair, gripping softly.

She could feel his hands, his strong massive hands gliding from her upper arms to her shoulders, gripping tightly as he thrusted steadily into her.

Calanthe felt like she was beginning to melt as she felt Eist’s hand trail down and began stroking her clit. She jerked involuntarily at his touch as he rolled and pinched her clit in his fingers. She was swollen and dripping for him as she came. Calanthe felt the familiar pressure rise in her stomach as she lost control, her body shaking and spasming against his touch. She cried out softly as he kissed her, gliding his tongue against hers. Her body went limp then, her orgasm fading as she felt Eist slow his thrusts, moving from his former urgent speed to slow and steady. It took a few moments, but Calanthe found enough strength to lift her head and smile and Eist.

Eist’s hands were underneath her then, raising her buttocks into the air.

“Wrap your legs around me.” Eist breathed out.

Calanthe complied as Eist sat up on his knees and pulled her close to him, sliding in completely. Calanthe cried out as he began to move, slowly, filling her entirely before pulling out. She felt herself being raised higher, her lower body feeling like it was floating off the bed. She felt Eist hit the spot inside of her that when he hit it just right, she would cum. Eist knew it and began to snap his hips into her as he stroked her clit. Calanthe could not help the whimpers that fell from her lips as her hips bucked against his. Soon she was crying out for him, her cries for him becoming louder by the second.

Eist’s thrusts became rough as he pounded into his wife. Calanthe arched her back as she locked her legs around his waist, curling her toes. Her entire body was off the bed except for her head which had fallen back, resting against the mattress. Everything around her became undone as an intense surge quickly rose from inside of her, radiating from her center. She could feel herself quiver and tighten around him as he hit the spot he was aiming for. Calanthe was briefly aware she was screaming Eist’s name as she began to squirt with Eist inside of her. Eist was suddenly gone as she felt herself squirt, the pressure releasing as his fingers rapidly stroked her clit, causing her to cum. Eist was back inside her then, thrusting madly as her legs gripped him tighter and her toes curl more. Calanthe was screaming as her hips matched his speed, wildly thrusting into him as her eyes rolled in the back of her head.

Eist slowed once again as her orgasm waned. Calanthe’s legs fell from around Eist’s waist. She no longer had the strength to hold them up. She could not stop the way her hips jerked though as he pulled out of her.

Calanthe’s eyes were half open when she saw him disappear between her legs. She felt him kiss her clit as he whispered “I love you” against it, and then kissed again. Soon he was flicking his tongue over her as Calanthe’s hips bucked and she softly cried out for him. Calanthe reached for Eist. Her hand found his shoulder and attempted to pull him up to her. Eist looked up into her eyes then, his eyes burning with desire for her. Calanthe smiled as Eist crawled up her, taking her into his arms, kissing her slowly and passionately. Eist broke away from Calanthe, to her dismay, and rested his cheek against hers.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered in his ear, kissing him as she ran her hands up his back, wrapping around the back of his neck and running her fingers through his thick hair. Calanthe smiled as Eist raised himself on his elbows, looking into her eyes as he did. The only light in their quarters came from the flicker of candlelight. The desire that ran through Eist shone like the sun though, and Calanthe could see it clear as day.

“Will you do that again for me?” Eist asked as he bent down and kissed the tender spot between her neck and shoulders.

“Yes.” Her response was low, guttural, and full of need for him.

Eist kissed her again and then picked himself off of her. “Roll over my love.” Eist said as he placed his hands on her hips, guiding her to roll over.

Calanthe’s breath caught for a moment as excitement shot through her.

Eist’s hands were on her back as she laid on her stomach when he asked her to get on her knees. Calanthe nodded and could not help the smile that crossed her face, thankful that Eist could not see it as she got on her knees and laid her head on the pillow in front of her. She bent her arms and rested her palms against the bed, bracing herself for him.

Calanthe had dreamed of this, of him taking her from behind but had not asked for it yet. Apart of her was unsure how to ask him for it, the other would forget anyway when they made love as he began to do other things to her. Calanthe moaned when she felt Eist reach around from behind her, grazing her clit. She felt his fingers graze over her lips and Eist seemed pleased to find that they were soaked and dripping for him.

Eist’s hands were gripping Calanthe’s hips as he entered her. Calanthe’s mouth fell open silently as she took him in and she smiled when she heard Eist moan when he pressed himself in her fully. She felt Eist curve over her then as he thrusted steadily in and out of her. His hands found her clit and strummed over her as her hips spasmed at his touch, causing her hips to buck away from him and his penis to slip from her. Eist’s hands were there on her hips again, guiding her back to him as he thrusted back inside of her. Calanthe soon felt Eist thrusting against the familiar sweet spot inside of her as moans turned to cries with each thrust. Soon Calanthe’s eyes were rolling in the back of her head as he pounded in and out of her. This was better than she had dreamed.

Suddenly Eist was gone, slipping out of her. Calanthe could feel Eist’s hands on her hips, holding her in place.

“Eist?” Calanthe whispered. Shew wanted him back inside of her, filling her, now.

“I’m sorry my love I just need a moment.” Eist said as he rubbed her back.

Soon Eist pushed himself back inside of her, causing Calanthe to scream. Eist pulled out completely then, pulled back and slammed himself inside of her. The next thrust caused Calanthe to squirt all of the bed as he pulled out. Calanthe was screaming and moaning as the orgasm racked her body, causing her to lose control. She could feel Eist’s arms around her then, holding her up. She knew without his arms she would have collapsed into the bed. Calanthe could feel Eist ease his thrusting, slowing it as he laid down on top of Calanthe. Eist pulled out and Calanthe could feel his hard penis, soaked in her juices, pressed against her buttocks as he laid on her back, kissing her shoulder. Calanthe took a few moments to catch her breath and then turned her head to the side to look at him.

“One more my love?” Eist whispered to her, kissing her softly on the lips.

Calanthe nodded and smiled softly. She could feel Eist position her so her entire body rested on the bed, then glide his hands to her hips where put pulled them upward so the only part of her that was lifted off the bed was her buttocks. She felt him push inside and roughly take her, pulling out so just his tip remained inside and then slamming himself back in. Calanthe cried out, causing Eist to take one of his hands from gripping his wife’s hip to sliding underneath her, stroking her clit.

Calanthe shuddered as she felt him lay against her, his chest pressed against her back. “Are you close?”

“Yes.” Calanthe could barely get the word out as Eist kissed her check and then her lips.

Suddenly Eist’s hips were thrashing into her. “Cum for me.” Eist whispered. Calanthe almost did with the sound of his voice enticing her alone.

Calanthe was so weak she lost control of her body and relied on Eist to position her the way he wanted to take her. She felt his hips raise slightly, knowing what he was seeking. Soon his penis was stroking the spot inside of her that Eist enjoyed the most, the spot that made her squirt. She began to cry out weakly, afraid she would loss consciousness from the sheer amount of pleasure she was experiencing. She came then, screaming as she squirted. Eist came hard then, pumping steadily in and out as he filled her and shouted her name.

Calanthe was covered in sweat as Eist pulled out of her, causing her to cry out at the sudden lack of fullness. She felt Eist lay on top of her, collapsing after he was finished. Calanthe turned her head as her husband kissed her softly, caressing the tip of his nose with hers. She felt his hand begin to stroke the back of her head as she fell asleep.

\--

Calanthe’s eyes were heavy when she tried to wake in the morning. She attempted to lift her head off the pillow, to stand up and stretch, but she couldn’t. She felt like she had been through a day’s long battle, with no energy left to do anything. She could barely smile to herself when she remembered their previous night. She remembered Eist waking her with kisses, helping her stand fore she could not on her own, her legs were still too weak. She remembered the the concern on his face and wondering what was wrong. When she sat in front of the looking glass, she noticed she looked paler than usual, and the blue circles under her eyes normally subdued by sleep were prominently showing. Calanthe chalked it up to being exhausted and nothing more.

Eist, per usual, fussed over her until they arrived at their guest chambers in Skellige. She did not have much say in the matter, nor did she want too. She was too tired to think of anything else. Eist slipped her boots off, undressed her, and was pulling the blankets to cover her when she fell asleep.

\--

Calanthe could make out Eist’s voice talking to someone, but who she was not sure. She did not open her eyes as she reached out, feeling for Eist. Nothing brought greater comfort to her when she would wake as the slept together, reaching out for him, all to find him sleeping soundly beside her and on occasion, lying awake as well. Calanthe’s hand searched, stretching her arm out and not feeling him. A moment before she opened her eyes, she felt Eist’s hand around hers. Calanthe smiled, lazily opening her eyes to meet her husband’s gaze.

“How are you feeling, my love?” Eist asked as he leaned down and kissed her.

\--

Their midday meal arrived soon after. Calanthe wrapped a blanket around herself, tying it under her arms so she could eat. The room was cool, even with the roaring fire. They finished their meal as Eist told her once again everything he wanted to do with her on Skellige. Calanthe just smiled as she listened to him, enjoying how happy he was. After they finished and she had agreed to play a game called Chess, Eist stood and began to stretch. Calanthe stood too, the blanket around her untying as she did. She should have known what his reaction would be.

When their eyes met again, Calanthe could see the lust burning in his eyes as he pulled her into him. She felt her feet leave the ground as her back was pressed against the bed. She clutched at him as his tongue flicked over hers. She untied his pants and reached down for his penis, grasping it in her hand and began to glide up and down, enjoying the look on Eist’s face.

Calanthe quickly became annoyed that her husband still had his doublet on, so she let go of Eist. She smirked as he groaned, clearly unhappy when she stopped stroking him. She pulled at the ties, attempting to remove his doublet. Eist laughed and sat up, pulling a few ties and then tossed his doublet and linen shirt to the floor. Calanthe smiled and took his penis in her hand again and began to pump up and down. She relished in the feeling of Eist lying against her, kissing her neck as his fingers flicked at her center. She was wet for him already and soon Eist was pushing two fingers inside of her, pumping them in and out while his other hand found her clit. Calanthe let go of his penis when she felt his fingers curl inside of her. Her back arched when Eist flicked his fingers over her clit and pulled the others from inside of her. Eist’s hands were on her thighs, holding them open as she squirted. She soaked the bed quickly and fell back. She was shaking badly as she collapsed against the bed.

In that moment she wanted Eist to hold her as she returned to reality. She felt like she was in a fog when she felt his breath on her thighs and then on her clit. She was immediately lifted out of it as her clit was sucked into Eist’s mouth and his fingers were inside her again. Calanthe could not focus as she tried to get her baring’s. Eist’s hand was moving up her body and stopped when he found her breast and began to kneed it gently with his hand. His fingers then began to pay special attention to a hard nipple. She gasped as he flicked it, still pumping his fingers in and out of her. Her back arched again as pressure surged through her. Eist’s hot mouth was around her, his fingers pulled from inside her now rapidly stroking her clit as the other stayed on her nipple. She felt herself squirt again, soon to be followed by her body being racked by spasms.

She felt raw. While he was doing wonderous things to her, it began to feel like to much. She knew Eist well enough by now to know that he would do this forever if he could. She could feel the ever-present exhaustion she had felt all morning creeping up, even through the intense pleasure she felt right now from him softly kissing her clit. The pleasure was so intense she was beginning to hurt. With barely any strength, Calanthe attempted to roll away from him but his strong hands were there then, grabbing her hips and holding her there.

“Eist please. It hurts.”

She could barely say the words. Eist climbed up her quickly, a look of panic on his face. Her face was in his hands then, his forehead pressing to hers when he asked “What hurts my love? What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine now,” She said as she steadied her breathing. “I just needed a break from your relentless kisses.”

She smiled as Eist chuckled, keeping their foreheads pressed together as he held her. Calanthe leaned up then, her mouth meeting his as she kissed him.

“How do you want me?” She whispered, and then softly kissed him again.

Eist was on his knees then, lifting Calanthe’s legs in the air to rest against his shoulders. She felt just the tip of him push inside her as she gasped. He pulled out then and filled her halfway as she groaned. She screamed when he filled her completely. He was thrusting madly in and out of her when his hands found her clit again. Soon Calanthe was whimpering as her orgasm began to build inside of her. Eist pulled out when she squirted again, allowing her to squirt on him as he kept up his strokes on her clit. Calanthe’s legs shook uncontrollably as they fell away from Eist. She felt Eist grab them then and use them to brace himself as his thrusts turned to pounding into her. Calanthe grabbed a hold the bed to prevent her from being moved on it as he came inside of her.

He allowed her legs to fall to the sides then, letting them go as he collapsed on to the bed. His arms were around her then, as always, pulling her against him.

“You are absolutely wonderful. Eist said.

Calanthe laid her head against his chest as she moaned, “So are you.”

She shivered in his arms as he leaned over and pulled the blankets over him. Calanthe let sleep take her again, hoping this time she would awake feeling rested.

\--

She could hear Eist. She could feel him. Calanthe however could not open her eyes. For a moment she was scared until her eyes finally lazily opened. She had never been this tired in all her life. When her eyes did finally open, she could not focus on anything. She could see Eist yet felt like she could not at the same time. She knew he was talking to her, but she could not make sense of his words.

“My love, are you okay? We need to wake up.”

She heard that. She shook her head no as she closed her eyes and pressed herself against his chest, willing the world to go away so she could simply rest with her husband.

A knock was at the door right as she fell back asleep.

\--

Hours later, Calanthe managed to wake, but barely. Eist picked her up and carried her to their tub so she could bathe before their dinner in a few hours. Before Calanthe could attempt to reach for the sponge, Eist had a goblet of water pressed to her hands. Calanthe did not say anything as she took it, looking at her husband questionably as she drank.

After Eist refilled her glass twice and handed her a third, Calanthe finally protested. “Darling, I cannot drink anymore. Why the sudden urge for me to drink water anyway?” Calanthe then leaned over the tub to set the goblet on the ground.

Eist put a small handful of soap in his hand and began to rub it over her hair. “You need it.”

“Since when do I need it?” Calanthe moaned as Eist’s fingers scrubbed her scalp. The feeling was making her want to fall back to sleep again.

Eist did not answer her question as he continued to wash her hair, rubbing his fingertips slowly through her scalp. After he rinsed her hair with a few buckets of water, Eist picked up the shower rag and began to wash Calanthe’s shoulders.

Calanthe moaned and leaned forward as Eist washed her back, enjoying the pressure he was putting on her muscles. Eist then slipped the rag to the front of her, washing her chest just above her breasts. Calanthe caught Eist’s wrist and pulled him down to her, kissing him frantically and trying to pull hm into the tub. Eist held out his hand, bracing himself against the tub and pulled away from her kisses.

Calanthe felt her blood boil as he separated himself from her. Neither one of them had refused each other before.

“What are you doing?” Calanthe spat out as tears pooled in her eyes.

“My love, I’m sorry. I just think maybe we should slow down.”

“Slow down? It is a little late for that!”

Eist sighed, “My love I had a conversation with Mousesack earlier, about you.”

Calanthe stared at Eist, her eyes narrowing.

“I was worried for you. You weren’t waking…”

“What did you talk about, Eist?”

“He suggested that you may need a break from our… lovemaking.”

“What?” Calanthe snapped. She had to have heard him wrong. There was no way that Eist would discuss what activities they did in their bedchamber and how often they did them to Mousesack.

“Apparently the squirting that you do can cause dehydration…”

“How does he know about that?” Calanthe could feel heat from embarrassment rising in her cheeks as she put her head in her hands, turning away from Eist. She had never done that before in front of anyone else, and had not discussed it with anyone besides Eist, and she wanted it to stay that way.

“I’m sorry. You were scaring me. I’ve never seen you as weak as you were.”

Calanthe could hear the regret in his voice.

“Come here.” Calanthe said as she held out her hand, removing them from where she had them hiding her face. “What else did he say?” Calanthe held out her hand, taking his in hers. For a moment she thought about breaking his hand as punishment.

“Nothing really. He wants you to get more iron in your diet. The only thing he suspected may be causing your fatigue is how much you… orgasm.”

Calanthe no longer wanted to break his hand. She wanted to slap him.

“So, you felt it was appropriate to have a conversation with the druid about how much I orgasm and squirt when you and I make love?” Calanthe let go of Eist’s hand. “Do you have any idea of how embarrassing that is?”

“I’m sorry but please don’t be embarrassed. Why should you be? My love, he will not tell anyone, and I promise you have nothing to be embarrassed over.”

“He is why your trying to drown me with a pitcher of water then?”

Eist nodded. Calanthe burst into laughter as Eist looked at her, shocked as he smirked. She let it go then. She was not happy about his discussion, but it could not be undone.

“You promise he won’t tell anyone?”

“I promise. He is loyal; besides I think the conversation left him rather embarrassed.”

“Good, because otherwise I will have to kill him.” Calanthe said as she laughed.

Eist laughed for a moment and then stopped, his expression becoming serious.

“There is something else.”

“What, did Mousesack have any suggestions on the next position we try?”

Calanthe could see Eist smile as he picked up the shower rag and went back to washing Calanthe.

“No, it’s about Bran.”

\--

Calanthe could feel Eist’s weight leaning on her as they stood outside the banquet hall. She smiled softly up at him, snaking her arm around his back and rubbing gently. She knew how badly he did not want this. When the doors opened for them and they heard the fanfare, Calanthe dropped her hand from his back and took his arm again.

“All rise for their Majesties, the Lioness, Queen Calanthe of Cintra and King Eist of Cintra!”

“It will be done soon.” Calanthe whispered as they began to walk towards the end of the hall. Calanthe took his hand in his, hoping it brought him some comfort. Calanthe smiled softly at Pavetta, a little less softly at Duny, and starred daggers at Mousesack, who quickly looked at his lap as they passed.

“Brother!” Bran said as he stood from the high table. “Your Majesty,” Bran said as he bowed his head to Calanthe, breaking royal decorum. Monarchs were not supposed to bow to each other. “I am glad to see you are feeling better. My brother refused to leave your side earlier while you were ill.”

“Thank you. I am sorry for not being able to attend the midday meal,” Calanthe said as Eist guided her to her seat beside Bran and pulled her chair out before a servant was there to do it. “It seems I was rather dehydrated.” Calanthe said, turning to Mousesack, loud enough for him to hear. Mousesack, who had looked up, quickly looked down again as his face turned red.

“Ah well sailing can take a lot out of someone, especially if they are not familiar with it.” Bran said jovially.

Calanthe turned her gaze to Bran and smiled. “Of course.”

Their meal was soon served, consisting of various types of fish and vegetables.

“So has my brother spoken to you?”

“About?”

“About the Skelligan throne.”

“Ah that. Yes, he has.” Calanthe took a bite of her haddock then.

“And?”

“And my King is not happy about it.” Calanthe found herself irritated. She did not enjoy speaking about Eist as if he was not sitting beside her.

“I am well aware of his unhappiness, but do you disagree that this would be good for Skellige or Cintra for that matter?”

Calanthe took a measured breath. “No, I do not disagree. However, I am trying to understand how this will work.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning what is the expectation? Are we to rule from Cintra? From here?”

“You can rule from wherever you like. Eist’s title of Jarl will go to Crach, the moot has already taken place for that as well. He will keep the military in line, which will keep the kingdom in line. Besides yourself and Eist are well respected on the Isle’s. You will not have trouble ruling, even if it is from Cintra.”

Calanthe turned her eyes to her husband as she nodded. Eist sighed and nodded back.

“When will the accession take place?”

“Before you return to Cintra. Eist will be declared King, and you Ard Rhena.”

“Ard Rhena?”

“It means high Queen in elder speech.” Eist said before Bran could.

\--

Calanthe adjusted her chair slightly to sit closer to Eist. “Who is that with Bran?” she asked as Eist adjusted how he sat so he was leaning slightly towards her.

“One of his many concubines. My brother gets bored easily.”

“Ah that’s right I almost forgot, having concubines, mistresses, and even multiples wives is widely accepted on the Isle’s.”

Eist snorted softly at the comment.

“And what about you, my King?”

Calanthe could see Eist glance at her out of the corner of her eye.

“Are you bored?” Calanthe said, turning to him, smirking.

“Far from it.” Eist said as he smiled and looked away, taking her hand under the table.

“And will you continue your brother’s tradition when you are declared King? Will you take any additional wives or concubines that I should be aware of?”

Eist took Calanthe’s hand from under the table and kissed it. “No, my love, I am far too in love with you.” Calanthe laughed lightly as Eist continued to kiss her hand. “Besides, I don’t think I have the stamina to keep up with anyone else.”

Calanthe burst out loud with laughter at that. “I’d hope not.” Calanthe leaned towards Eist to whisper in his ear, “Let’s go upstairs. I’d like you to wear me out again.”


	7. Chapter 4A - Eist

**Chapter 4A – Eist**

**Years 1249-1251**

The Belleteyn holiday was quickly approaching, as was warmer weather. To Eist’s surprise, despite the cold, Pavetta had insisted on spending most of the winter months in Skellige with Duny, regardless of whether or not Eist or Calanthe was with her. Eist was pleased to see his stepdaughter take to the Isle’s quickly, as did the Skelligan’s take to their new Princess. Princess Pavetta, the soft and gentle lion cub of Cintra, was practically worshiped for her kindness and sweetness. She was most unlike the Skellige people themselves, and they regarded her as a breath of fresh air.

Queen Calanthe, the Skelligan’s Ard Rhena, was the one they respected. Eist was grateful that Calanthe had agreed to spend much of her time in Skellige, even though he knew it pained her to be away from Cintra. Many couriers had been employed to travel by drakkar every morning and evening, constantly bringing current communications and news from Cintra. Eist enjoyed the different side he saw of his wife here. While still regal, she was more relaxed. The tension and rigidness that was present in her shoulders in her Cintran court could not be found while on the Isle’s.

Their accession had gone as planned and without a hitch. However, while Eist was well known on the Isle’s, the Queen was not. As Eist toured Calanthe around the Isle’s throughout their first week there, he was amazed at how many people would appear where they visited to see their Ard Rhena. Eist had been responsible for spreading tales of the Queen’s bravery and beauty across the Isle’s before their marriage as he was unable to resist talking about the Queen of Cintra. He had not realized how much those tales had spread, or how much they were remembered. Without knowing it, he had made his wife something of a legend in Skellige.

When they visited an armory in Ard Skellige that was known for making the finest battle axes on the Isle’s, Eist was pleased to see his wife purchase two, insisting she should learn how to fight with them since they were a Skelligan’s traditional weapon of choice. It took Crach less than a day to teach Calanthe, who he now affectionately called Mod-Ron, to throw her battle axes like a true Skellige.

“Are you sure you do not have Skelligan blood, your Majesty?” Bran asked as he and Eist watched her throw from the ramparts around the training yard in Kaer Trolde.

“I’m sure of it. I’m just good at hitting things.” Calanthe said, throwing her axe at the target and hitting the red center of it again.

Eist smiled as Crach went to take the two axes out of the target, but had trouble doing so.

“We may need a new target soon, Mod-Ron.” Crach said as he ripped the second axe out, causing wood splinters to fly as he did.

“Your Ard Rhena is quite impressive.” Bran said to Eist as they stood watching.

“Yes, she is. You should see her with a sword.” Eist responded, gazing at his wife as she threw her axes again. The second one did indeed split the target when it hit.

Calanthe looked up at Eist then, making eye contact with him. Eist smiled broadly when their eyes met, as did she.

\--

Eist would often have to search for his wife, who spent less time with him as she was comfortable with her surroundings in Skellige now. After waking in bed alone, Eist searched the halls until he found Calanthe in armory. Eist had not ordered new armor be made for himself, Calanthe did as she insisted his old armor was not kingly enough. She glanced up when he entered and quickly stood, smirking to him as she walked towards him.

“Good morning my love.” Eist said when she reached him, enjoying the feeling of her hands wrapping around his waist.

“Good morning to you too husband.” Calanthe said as she rested her head against his chest for a moment before lifting her head for a kiss.

“Have you eaten?” Eist asked as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, stroking her jaw as he did so.

“No, I’ve been waiting for you to wake.” Calanthe smirked. “Were you a little worn out from last night?”

“How could I not be,” Eist said as he guided her from the armory towards the banquet hall. “You kept waking me up every few hours for more.”

Calanthe chuckled as they made their way down the hall as servants bowed when they passed. When they entered, Eist could feel tension rise in Calanthe after they both noticed Pavetta and Duny were not present as they sat down.

“Crach? Has Pavetta or Duny come down yet?” Calanthe asked as kedgeree was served to her and Eist.

“No, not yet Mod-Ron.” Crach said, just as Mousesack burst into the banquet hall.

He quickly ran to the head where Eist and Calanthe sat. “Your Majesty’s,” he said as he bowed his head, “It’s time.”

Eist could feel Calanthe grab his hand as she quickly stood, walking as quickly as she could from the hall without running, pulling Eist with her. When they reached the corridor, they both broke into a sprint following Mousesack.

“It seems early.” Eist said when they reached Pavetta and Duny’s chambers.

“That may be, but she entered labor during the night. This child will be born today.” Mousesack said before opening the door.

Eist stopped as Calanthe followed closely behind Mousesack. “Are you sure you want me in there?”

Calanthe stopped and turned, giving Eist an incredulous look. “You don’t have to be in the same room. You can wait in the sitting area.”

Eist nodded, following behind his wife as he heard Pavetta scream. Eist winced as he closed the door behind him. He had never heard a woman give birth before. It already sounded more painful than sustaining a wound in battle.

“You are never touching me again!” Pavetta screamed, presumably at Duny, as Eist sat on a chair in the sitting room while Mousesack and Calanthe entered the bedchamber that Pavetta was in.

As soon as the door closed, it opened again. Eist looked up to see Duny walking out of the bedchamber and sit across from him on another chair, waving his hand as he walked.

“Apparently this whole being with child thing is all my fault. And it seems my wife is stronger than I thought.” Duny said as he opened and closed his fist.

“How is she?”

“In a lot of pain. I don’t know how they do it. Mousesack attempted to show me the process as Pavetta gets closer to birthing the child. I almost vomited.”

“When did she go into labor?”

“After we got back from the Belleteyn feast last night. Her water broke after the twelfth bell, but she insisted on not waking anyone. Her pain did not seem too severe until the early hours this morning, after that I found Mousesack.”

Eist nodded again. “Well hopefully it is finished soon for Pavetta’s sake.”

\--

Another four hours passed before Calanthe opened the door, “Duny, it’s time.”

Eist chuckled as Duny swallowed hard before standing and returning to his wife.

The screams Eist heard coming from the room made him sick to his stomach but were soon gone as the sound of a babe’s cries filled the air.

Eist stood, walking closer to the door but not opening it. He could hear Pavetta crying, but she did not sound upset, she sounded relieved. Calanthe opened the door then, tears falling from her eyes. Eist did not dare say anything in case something was indeed wrong. He swallowed hard, waiting for Calanthe to speak.

A huge smile crept across her face as she said, “We have a granddaughter.”

\--

Eist reluctantly entered the bedchamber that Pavetta was lying in, already asleep with Duny sitting beside her on a chair, his head resting on the bed near his wife, almost asleep himself. He felt extremely out of place as Calanthe pulled him by his hand to the cradle where the babe slept. Her back was to him as she gently picked the newborn up, and when she turned a realization fell across Eist that he had not had before.

Eist wanted a child with Calanthe.

Calanthe carried the child to the sitting room as Eist followed, shutting the door behind him. They sat beside each other on the couch as Eist looked down at the little bundle, pale as could be with wisps of hair so blonde they were white. He could not help but smile.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Calanthe said.

“She is. She looks like her mother already.”

Calanthe nodded. “Would you like to hold her?”

Eist wiped his hands on his pants. He nervous as he was not good with infants. Calanthe ignored his resistance though and placed the Princess in his arms and then adjusted Eist’s arms to hold her easier.

“She’s small.” Eist said as he gazed down at the Princess.

“Any babe is small in your arms.” Calanthe said smiling. “Mousesack does suspect she was born early, but he says she is healthy nonetheless.”

Eist nodded. “Is she named yet?”

“Yes. Her name is Cirilla Fiona Riannon of Cintra.”

Eist smiled. Cirilla. Somehow, even at just being born, her name was perfect for her.

\--

Princess Cirilla was never found in her crib. Everyone was constantly vying to hold her. Eist even found himself enjoying it. A few days after she had been born, Eist held Cirilla in his arms as he and Calanthe held court in Kaer Trolde. The Princess was indeed fussy but seemed to calm in her grandfather’s arms more than anyone else’s. While Pavetta clearly did not enjoy being parted from her daughter, she had quickly learned that if Cirilla could not be lulled to sleep, then giving her to Eist was the best option.

“You seem to have become her favorite.” Pavetta said as she plopped the babe in Eist’s arms just before court began. Eist would be lying if he said he minded it.

As people entered and exited the court, a jeweler from Ard Skellige arrived.

Eist stood then from his throne. “Ah, Cranton! It is good to see you.” Eist said as the jeweler approached him, bowing as he did so.

“Your Majesties,” Cranton bowed to Eist and Calanthe. “I have what you requested.”

With that Cranton pulled a small velvet pouch from his robes and drew out a medallion, holding it up for Eist and Calanthe to see.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked as she stood beside Eist.

“A swallow.” Eist said as he smiled, crossing the room to Cranton, shifting the sleeping Cirilla from two arms to one.

“A swallow symbolizes hope.” Cranton said as Calanthe approached behind Eist.

“You can’t give a medallion to an infant.” Calanthe said as Eist felt her hand rest against his lower back.

“She cannot wear it now, but it can hang on her cradle. She can wear it when she is older.” Eist said to Calanthe. “Thank you,” Eist said turning to Cranton as he bowed. “Your work is exquisite.”

Cranton nodded and bowed again, excusing himself from court.

“I believe Cirilla has turned you into quiet the softy.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned against his arm.

“Ciri.”

“What?”

“Ciri. She likes the name Ciri for short. And yes, this wee pup has turned me into quite the softy.” Eist said as he turned and kissed Calanthe on the forehead.

“Ciri? How do you know she likes to be called that?”

“It is what I call her to calm her when she cries.”

Calanthe sighed against him. “Ciri, huh? I think I like it.”

\--

“Calanthe, this is ridiculous!” Eist yelled at Calanthe as they stood across from each other in front of the fire in their sitting room.

“You are willing to risk it? What if he comes back for her?” Calanthe screamed back at him.

“He will not come back.” Eist said as he ran his hand through his hair, exasperated. “He said he would not come back. He does not want her.”

“And you believe him?”

Eist could see the fear in Calanthe’s eyes. Eist thought Calanthe had forgotten the Witcher, thought she had forgotten about the Law of Surprise. He should have known better.

“Yes, I believe him. Do you remember what happened the last time you tried to defy destiny? Leave it alone. Call Mousesack off.”

“No.”

Eist was growing angry. Calanthe may not believe in destiny, but he did. After what had happened at Pavetta’s banquet, he was not sure how she did not believe either.

“Calanthe, enough! You have no idea what you are doing! Call him off. You will either get Mousesack killed or you will bring ruin to us all!”

He could see Calanthe’s anger rising in her.

“If I don’t get rid of him now, he will come back for her! What if he wakes up tomorrow and decides to believe in destiny?”

“He won’t.” Eist said, sighing heavily as he said it.

“Mousesack will kill the Witcher, and that is final.” Calanthe said as she stormed into their bedchamber, slamming the door behind her and locking it.

Eist sighed. Apparently he was sleeping in the spare bedchamber tonight.

\--

When Eist woke in the morning, he found their bedchamber door open. He entered looking for his wife, but she was nowhere to be found.

Eist changed quickly and began to make his way down to the banquet room. As he turned a corner, he plowed into Mousesack.

“Your Majesty, I am sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Eist said as he put his hands on his hips and took a measured breath. “You are leaving today?”

“I was, but her Majesty has just informed me that I am not going after all.”

“What?” Eist asked.

“Queen Calanthe came to me a little while ago. She asked me to not kill the Witcher.”

Eist sighed as Mousesack walked away. Eist did not know what changed the Queen’s mind but he was thankful for whatever did.

\--

Cirilla’s first year seemed to pass in an instant. It seemed to Eist that he had blinked and suddenly she was attempting to walk on her own, her hair now full of blonde curls with big green eyes staring out at the world wondrously. He enjoyed the laughter that the little Princess brought out of people. Pavetta seemed in a constant state of bliss when she was with her daughter and Duny was ever the proud father. Eist was amazed though at what Ciri did for Calanthe. While Calanthe was affectionate with her family, she did her best to hide it when in front of others and in court but smiles constantly escaped her when Ciri was around.

As Ciri grew, Eist and Calanthe began to each develop a shadow. Pavetta reluctantly began to accept the fact that Ciri enjoyed being with her grandparents and would hand her off after breakfast to Calanthe who would hold Ciri on her lap at court as Ciri babbled, causing whichever knight, advisor, or ambassador in her presence to laugh. Eist would take her when she became cranky, tickling her and making funny faces all the while to lift her mood. At night before bed Eist would take Ciri on his shoulders out with Pavetta to show her the stars and would then return her to the arms of her mother.

\--

Eist was aware of the potions and elixirs that Calanthe had begun to take religiously to aid in her conceiving a child. It was three years since they had married, three years of a highly productive marriage in the bedchamber, and it had finally paid off.

Eist smiled to himself when he remembered Calanthe waking him, her hands shaking his shoulders as she shouted for him to wake. He opened his eyes quickly, thinking something was wrong. He could feel strands of her long hair that had spilled over her shoulders and onto his chest as she shook awake.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Eist asked as he put his arms on her sides and attempted to pull her into him.

“Nothing is wrong.” Calanthe said as she pushed his hands away from her sides and instead guided them to rest on her stomach. “Everything is perfect.”

Eist sat there for a minute, not understanding. He looked up into Calanthe’s eyes then, which were huge and brimming with tears as her hands held his against her stomach. He realized then why everything was perfect.

“You’re sure?” Eist said as he gently rubbed his thumbs over her stomach, which still showed no outward signs of carrying a child.

“I’m sure. I have not bled in two months, between that and the nausea…”

Eist could not help the tears that came to his eyes as his hands left her stomach to rest on her cheeks as he sat up and began to kiss her wildly.

He could feel Calanthe’s tears against his own cheeks as she kissed him back.

“I love you.” Eist whispered as he pulled Calanthe into him, wrapping his arm around her and placing his other hand on her abdomen.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered as she curled into him.

\--

The day was already warm as Eist made his way by horseback down to the harbor. A fleet of Skelligan ships was set to arrive soon that included Bran, Birna, Crach, Draig, and a slew of other many other Skelligan’s. Eist had invited them to a lavish banquet that was being thrown but had not told them the reason for the banquet. He smiled as he thought of Calanthe, now estimated to be four months into carrying their child, who he had left sleeping in their bedchamber. Exhaustion plagued her recently, causing her to sleep well into the late mornings most days.

“Uncle!” Crach waved as his ship docked at the Cintran harbor.

Eist smiled as he dismounted his horse. He had not been to Skellige since he found out Calanthe was expecting, refusing to leave her side, and to her annoyance, refusing to allow her to travel. He missed the Isle’s, but he would not leave his wife, not now. The Isles could wait.

“Uncle, how have you been?” Crach said as he hugged Eist after walking the gangplank of his ship.

“I’ve been good. Where is Bran?”

“Over there.” Crach said, nodding at a ship that was docking a ways down. “Birna insisted on not sharing a ship.”

Eist rolled his eyes as he walked towards Bran who was already walking the gangplank arm in arm with Birna.

“Brother!” Bran said, clasping Eist on the shoulder.

“How have you been?” Eist asked Bran as he bowed his head to Birna out of respect. She may no longer be queen, but she was still his brother’s wife.

“Good, good. Where is the Ard Rhena?”

“She is busy at the palace.” Eist lied, smiling again at the thought of his wife peacefully sleeping as their child grew inside of her.

Eist could hear the thunder of hooves just before he could hear Vissegerd shouting for him from his horse.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

“What is it?” Eist asked as Vissegerd stopped his horse close to them.

“Sire, you must get back to the palace at once!” Vissegerd said sternly.

“What has happened?” Eist asked as he sprinted to his horse and mounted it, then turned back to Vissegerd.

“Sire, you must get to the Queen at once. That is all I was told.”

Eist felt faint for a moment. A chill ran up his spine as nausea grew in the pit of his stomach, threatening to rise out of him as raced back to the palace, forgetting everyone and everything around him.

He heard Calanthe’s scream as he raced through the halls to their bedchamber. Her second scream brought tears to his eyes. He passed Pavetta and Duny in the hall with little Ciri clutching her father in his arms. He barely registered the tears falling from Pavetta as he burst into their chambers, almost ripping the door off as he opened it.

“You will be alright, your Majesty.” Eist heard Mousesack say the words as he pushed open their bedchamber doors. There was blood on their bed. Eist swallowed as he ran into their privy chamber.

Calanthe was curled on the floor, pale as ever with tears streaming from her eyes, clutching her stomach. Eist felt himself go cold when he sat down on the floor and saw the blood that stained the back of her robe. Eist bent down, so low he was almost pressed against the ground to meet his wife’s eyes. Calanthe looked as if she was in shock, her eyes wide as her tears continued to fall.

Eist put his hand on her cheek, brushing his thumb softly over it as he turned to Mousesack, “What is happening?”

Eist noticed the measured breath Mousesack took. He also noticed Mousesack’s unwillingness to meet his eyes as he said, “She is miscarrying, your Majesty.”

Eist lost focus for a moment as Mousesack picked up a few bloody rags and slumped away, tossing them into the fire. He was brought back when Calanthe screamed again, looking down to see her clutching her stomach and wincing in pain. Eist looked again at Mousesack, who turned and met panicked gaze.

“She is having contractions, just as if she was giving birth.”

“Well make it stop!” Eist shouted as he picked Calanthe and shifted her so her head and chest were lying against his lap instead of the floor.

“I can’t. I can’t stop this.” Mousesack said as tears formed in his eyes. Eist looked at Mousesack and for a moment was shocked. He had never seen the druid like this before.

“You are a healer!” Eist said as Calanthe began to sob. Eist quickly reached down and took one of her hands in his as his other arm held her tightly. “Stop this! I order you!”

“Your Majesty this cannot be stopped.”

“Use your magic then!”

“Magic cannot stop this; it cannot cure it. This will have to run its course.”

Calanthe screamed again as she grasped Eist’s hand so hard he thought for a moment that she would break it.

Eist looked down again, his tears falling freely into Calanthe’s hair. The mixture of pain and agony on her face was more than Eist could take. He looked up then and saw her robe darkening with more blood.

“She is still bleeding?” Eist said as he sat up straighter, peering over her.

Mousesack nodded. “She may bleed for weeks. The pain should not last that long though.”

“Weeks?” Eist said as he looked down into Calanthe’s eyes as she stared into his lap. She was weeping so hard she had begun to shake.

“Grab a blanket.” Eist said as he put his arms under Calanthe.

“A blanket?”

“Yes, better grab a few and put them on the bed.”

Mousesack stood, walking to the corner and grabbing several blankets of the shelves.

“You’re moving her?” Mousesack asked as Eist raised her to sit carefully against him.

“In a moment. Hand me that robe, will you?” Eist asked as he motioned his head towards his own robe thrown over a chair near the tub.

After Mousesack left and shut the door, Eist began to untie Calanthe’s robe and pull it off of her.

“Eist?”

Calanthe’s voice was so soft he almost could not hear her.

He bent down, kissing the corner of her mouth gently before responding, “Yes, my love?”.

Calanthe stopped crying then, leaving her eyes red and swollen.

“Is this really happening?”

Her question broke his heart. Eist did not respond. He could not bring himself to. Instead he continued to take her robe off and put his robe on over her in its place as her tears began to fall again. Eist picked her up gently, pushing the door open with his foot as he carried her to their bed and laid her down on top of the blankets Mousesack had placed there.

The door to their chambers opened then with Pavetta quickly walking through, wringing her hands as she walked. She stood there for a moment, clearly unsure of what to say until she seemed to realize her mother was lying in bed in front of her.

Pavetta quickly rushed to her mother’s side as Eist stepped out of the way to the other side of the room.

“Oh mother, I’m so sorry.” Pavetta said as she wrapped her arms around her.

Eist looked away for a moment as his eyes filled with tears again. He took a deep breath and sniffed to compose himself before turning back. Calanthe was not hugging her daughter in return, instead her arms laid limp at her sides. Eist walked closer, looking over Pavetta’s shoulder into Calanthe’s eyes. She did not seem to register what was happening around her. Instead she stared blankly at the ceiling. She had stopped crying again, and instead all that was left behind were red and swollen eyes. Pavetta slowly leaned back, looking into Calanthe’s eyes as well.

After a moment, Pavetta turned to Eist. “Did she lose the child?”

Eist nodded as the tears returned to his eyes again.

“I’m so sorry, Eist.” Pavetta said as she reached up and hugged him.

Eist allowed one tear to fall as he hugged Pavetta back. He pulled away then and turned his head to wipe the tear, hoping that Pavetta did not see it. If she did, she did not say anything.

“Cancel the banquet.” Eist said to Pavetta as he crossed back to Calanthe as she stared at the ceiling.

“Okay. What reason shall I give?”

“Tell them the Queen is ill, but that is it Pavetta. No one else will know of this. As far as everyone else is concerned, the Queen is sick and that is all.”

Pavetta nodded and hung her head as she left.

“Your Majesty her pain appears to have passed. I will be in the sitting room if you need me.” Mousesack said as he bowed and walked out of the bedchamber, closing the door behind him.

Eist let his tears fall then as he pulled off his boots and his doublet, tossing them across the floor. Eist climbed into bed then, lying next to her on his side.

Eist reached his hand out, resting his palm in the area between her chest and color bone, his fingers wrapping slightly around her shoulder. He sighed when Calanthe did not respond, instead she continued to stare at the ceiling.

“Are you in any pain?” Eist asked as he ran his thumb over her collarbone.

When she did not respond, Eist sat himself up on his elbow, looking down at her.

“Calanthe please say something, my love.”

Eist could fell more tears escape him when Calanthe turned her head slightly to look at him. Her expression was something he had never seen in her before. She looked empty, like there was nothing inside of her. The fire, the passion, the drive that was always there was gone, replaced by emptiness.

“I lost our child.” Calanthe said as she began to cry again, her shoulders shaking as she raised her hands to her face.

Eist wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. He clutched her tightly as he felt her press her face into his shoulder. Eist kissed the side of her head until he fell asleep, long after Calanthe did.

\--

Eist was glad he and Calanthe decided to refrain from sharing the news publicly that he and Calanthe had been expecting. He was also aware that in another day if this had happened, everyone would have known, and they would have had to publicly announce that they lost their child.

Eist had barely slept and was having trouble keeping his eyes open as he walked. He glanced in a mirror as he passed it. His hair was sticking up in all directions and he had massive dark circles under his eyes.

Calanthe had woken a few hours after he first laid her in their bed the previous day. After he bathed her and returned her to their bed, he spent the rest of the night holding her. She woke every few hours sobbing into him. Eist cried with her when she did. Calanthe began to cramp again in the morning, but no bleeding followed. Eist was trying to convince Calanthe to eat before Pavetta came to their chambers to check on her mother. She had not known Calanthe was expecting until she began to miscarry while she was with Pavetta after she woke that morning. Pavetta was the one that convinced Eist to tell his family what really happened. Before Eist left he called in servants to change out the bedding. When asked why, he claimed Calanthe had bled on it from getting her monthly cycle.

Eist was walking slowly down the hall to a room that he had asked Mousesack to gather Bran and Crach in.

Eist remembered the previous morning, lying in bed with Calanthe on top of him, their bodies flushed and sweating from their lovemaking. Eist ran his hand gently up and down his wife’s arm as Calanthe leaned down to kiss him before lying down and pressing herself against him as her head found the familiar spot to rest in between his chest and shoulder.

_“Do you want a boy or a girl?” She asked as Eist moved his hand to rest on her abdomen._

_“It does not matter to me. As long as it’s healthy.”_

_He could feel Calanthe smile into him before she kissed his chest._

_“Do you have a preference, my love?” Eist asked as he turned his head to kiss her on the temple._

_“Not at all. I feel the same as you, as long as it’s healthy._

_He smiled as she fell asleep soon after, rising then to prepare to head down to the harbor._

Eist sighed, fighting back tears.

When he reached the door, he stopped for a moment, not wanting to go in. He did not want to talk about the miscarriage. His heart was broken; broken for his wife, broken for his unborn child.

No one spoke when Eist opened the door and entered, shutting the door behind him.

He sat down at the only empty chair left around the small table in the center. Eist sat there for a few moments, elbows resting on his thighs, his fingers laced together over this mouth as he sat in silence.

“Is Mod-Ron alright? We heard she was unwell.” Crach asked, breaking the silence.

Eist looked up at Crach. His mother, Eist and Bran’s sister, had died giving birth to Crach. Eist had taken him under his wing, but he still grew up motherless. Calanthe was the closest thing Crach ever had to a mother and the two had become close over the last few years. Eventually he began calling her Mod-Ron, the Skellige term for Mother.

“She is… fine.” Eist said, wincing at his own lying words. Calanthe was far from fine.

Eist looked up to see Crach nod, clearly relieved. Mousesack said nothing as he kept his head bowed.

“Brother, what is it?” Bran asked as he sat back in his chair, running his hand over his beard. “You seem troubled.”

“Troubled.” Eist repeated flatly. He did not want tears to sting his eyes, but they did anyway. “Calanthe had a miscarriage yesterday.”

“What?” Bran asked, clearly alarmed.

“It was why Vissegerd came for me at the harbor.” Eist broke off then as the tears began to fall. He wiped them away as quickly as they came. “The banquet was being held to announce the pregnancy, to surprise everyone.”

No one spoke for a few minutes as they processed the information.

“How far along was she?” Bran asked carefully.

“We think four months, but we can’t be sure. It may have been more.”

“Oh, Gods.” Bran said, running his hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry Eist. The Ard Rhena, is she well?”

Eist shook his head, staring at the floor.

“No. She’s cramping again.” Mousesack looked up at that, concern written all over his face. “It started again this morning.” Eist said, meeting Mousesack’s eyes. “She can’t stop crying. We have been trying for years for this child. And now it’s gone.”

“What can we do Uncle?” Crach asked.

Eist looked at him, shaking his head. There was nothing anyone could do. No one could bring their child back.

“Do not tell this to anyone. This is a private matter. I don’t want Calanthe to ever have to discuss what happened last night unless she wishes too. The less people that know, the better. I sure as hell never want to relieve this cursed day again.”

“Of course.” Bran said.

It was a few minutes before Eist spoke again. “I don’t understand why I am so upset. I am mournful about something I never had. Seems stupid really.”

“Stop.” Bran said, standing and walking to his younger brother, bending down on his knee in front of him. “That was your child. Of course you are upset.”

Eist shook his head. “I need to be strong. I need to be strong for Calanthe.”

“No, you need to grieve with your wife. You made the child together. You need to grieve together. You may not have carried the child within you as she did, but you did help create it.”

With that Eist began to sob as Bran hugged him.


	8. Chapter 4B - Calanthe

**Chapter 4B – Calanthe**

**Years 1249-1251**

“It’s all in the wrist.” Crach said as he threw his axe at the target, hitting it square in the center. “Once you have it above your head, let the axe go as you keep your wrist moving forward.” Crach’s second axe landed just beside where his first one hit.

Calanthe sighed. “ _It’s all in the wrist”_ she said to herself. She took aim then, following Crach’s instructions. The axe flew right by the target, nearly hitting a Skelligan as he walked by, giving Calanthe a sour look.

“It’s your own bloody fault for walking back there while she’s throwing an axe!” Crach yelled defensively.

“It’s fine,” Calanthe said, “I would be upset if someone almost hit me with an axe too.”

Crach nodded before going to get her axe for her, “Yes Mod-Ron.”

Calanthe smiled softly for a moment as Crach walked away. The first time called her Mod-Ron she slapped him upside his head, thinking he had called her a moron. It was only after Eist was done laughing hysterically and was able to explain what Mod-Ron meant that she was sorry for hitting him. As time passed, Calanthe enjoyed the relationship she had developed with Crach. He had become sort of an adoptive son to her.

A few hours passed when she noticed Eist and Bran watching her. She had much improved by then but was still eager to show off to her husband. Eist always seemed to get excited when Calanthe hit things, or people for that matter, with weapons. She threw one of her axes, hitting the target dead center.

“Are you sure you do not have Skelligan blood, your Majesty?” Bran asked from above in the ramparts.

“I’m sure of it. I’m just good at hitting things.” Calanthe responded as she threw her other axe, hitting the target beside her other one.

“We may need a new target soon, Mod-Ron.” Crach said as he ripped the second axe out, causing wood splinters to fly as he did.

Calanthe threw her axes again, the second one splitting the target when it hit. Calanthe looked up at Eist then. He was smiling broadly at her. Calanthe could not help but smile back.

\--

The smell of bronze filled the air as Calanthe made her way down to the armory in Kaer Trolde. She had woken early, untangling herself from Eist. She stretched as she sat up, looking down at her husband sleeping beside her, smiling. She loved his craggy face and messy hair. After leaning down and softly kissing his stubbled cheek, she climbed out of bed and dressed. It was still early, but she knew the blacksmiths would already be hard at work, and she wanted to check the progress of the armor new armor she had commissioned for Eist. Calanthe stopped before she left their chambers and returned to Eist, kissing him again lightly on his cheek. She left then, knowing he would find her when he woke.

\--

“Good morning, my love.” Eist said to her as she walked to him, wrapping her arms around his waist when she reached him.

“Good morning to you too husband.” Calanthe said as she rested her head against his chest for a moment before leaning up for a kiss.

“Have you eaten?” Eist asked as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, stroking her jaw as he did so.

“No, I’ve been waiting for you to wake.” Calanthe smirked. “Were you a little worn out from last night?”

“How could I not be,” Eist said as he guided her from the armory towards the banquet hall. “You kept waking me up every few hours for more.”

Calanthe chuckled as they made their way down the hall as servants bowed when they passed. When they entered, Calanthe scanned the hall for Pavetta but quickly realized she was not present as she and Eist sat down.

“Crach? Has Pavetta or Duny come down yet?” Calanthe asked as kedgeree was served to Eist and herself.

“No, not yet Mod-Ron.” Crach said just as Mousesack burst into the banquet hall.

He ran quickly to the head table where Calanthe and Eist sat. “Your Majesties,” he said as he bowed his head, “It’s time.”

Calanthe grabbed Eist hand as she stood, pulling Eist with her as she walked briskly from the hall, willing herself not to run until they reached the corridor.

“It seems early.” Eist said when they reached Pavetta’s chambers.

“That may be, but she entered labor during the night. This child will be born today.” Mousesack said before opening the door.

“Are you sure you want me there?” Eist asked.

Calanthe stopped and turned, looking at Eist. “You don’t have to be in the same room. You can wait in the sitting area.”

“You are never touching me again!” Pavetta screamed when Mousesack opened the door to the bedchamber that Pavetta was in.

Duny looked panicked as he dabbed Pavetta’s head with cool water using a rag.

“Why don’t you take a break.” Calanthe said to Duny as he gratefully handed her the bowl of water and rag and left the room.

Mousesack went to the end of bed to check on Pavetta as Calanthe crossed the room to her daughter.

“How long ago did you go into labor?” Calanthe asked as she brushed a few strands of hair out of her daughter’s face.

“My water broke this morning. It was not too painful until recently.” Pavetta said before wincing in pain.

“Hopefully it will be done soon.” Calanthe said, taking Pavetta’s hand.

A few minutes later another contraction went through Pavetta as she grabbed her mother’s hand, squeezing. Calanthe pulled her hand away when the contraction stopped, shaking it. “You really are my daughter. Who knew you had so much strength in you?”

“This is all Duny’s fault.” Pavetta said as she took a deep breath, sweat forming on her brow.

Calanthe sighed as she dapped her daughters head with cold water.

“It took more than just Duny for this to happen.”

“Well he’s never touching me again. After this is over, he is moving to his own quarters.”

Calanthe laughed then. “Once the child is born you won’t remember any of this. That’s why women often tend to have more than one child.”

Pavetta laughed for a moment before another contraction hit, causing her to scream in pain.

Hours passed as Pavetta’s contractions grew closer together.

Mousesack eventually looked up at Calanthe, “I would go get the Prince your Majesty.”

Calanthe nodded and stood, walking to the door. “Duny, it’s time.”

Duny entered soon after and returned to his wife’s side as Calanthe crossed to the other, taking Pavetta’s hand again. After a few screams, the sound of a babe crying filled the air.

Calanthe stepped back as Mousesack laid the newborn in Pavetta’s arms, “Congratulations. You have given birth to a Princess, your Highness.”

“Cirilla. Her name is Cirilla Fiona Riannon.” Pavetta breathed out as Cirilla was laid against her.

Calanthe could feel her lip tremble and her eyes fill with tears as she began to walk out of the room, wanting Pavetta and Duny to have this moment alone. She opened the door to find Eist standing just outside. A huge smile crept across her face as she said, “We have a granddaughter.”

\--

Calanthe gently picked up Cirilla out of her cradle and then crept out of the bedchamber with Eist following close behind her, careful to not wake Pavetta or Duny who was almost asleep himself. She sat with Eist on the couch, looking down at the little bundle in her arms.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“She is. She looks like her mother already.”

Calanthe nodded as she asked, “Would you like to hold her?”

She watched Eist fidget as he wiped his hands on his pants. She knew he did not like infants, but he would hold his granddaughter whether he liked it or not. Calanthe smiled as she gently placed Cirilla in Eist’s arms, adjusting his then so he could hold her easier.

“She’s small.” Eist said as he gazed down at the Princess.

Eist looked awkward. He was a giant of a man holding a very small infant. The difference in their sizes brought a smile to Calanthe.

“Any babe is small in your arms.” Calanthe said, still smiling. “Mousesack does suspect she was born early, but he says she is healthy nonetheless.”

“Is she named yet?”

“Yes. Her name is Cirilla Fiona Riannon.”

\--

Watching Eist hold Cirilla would never get old to Calanthe. He had quickly grown to love holding his tiny granddaughter in his arms. Calanthe and Eist sat beside each other on their thrones, holding court in Kaer Trolde.

Pavetta plopped Cirilla into Eist’s lap just before court started, declaring “You seem to have become her favorite.”

For a man that was not good with infants and disliked them the way he did, Eist certainly had a way with Cirilla. As people entered and exited the court, a jeweler from Ard Skellige arrived.

Eist stood then from his throne. “Ah, Cranton! It is good to see you.” Eist said as the jeweler approached him, bowing as he did so.

“Your Majesties,” Cranton bowed to Eist and Calanthe. “I have what you requested.”

Calanthe arched her eyebrow, wondering what Eist had requested as Cranton pulled a small velvet pouch from his robes and drew out a medallion, holding it up for Eist and Calanthe to see.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked as she stood beside Eist.

“A swallow.” Eist said as he smiled, crossing the room to Cranton, shifting the sleeping Cirilla from two arms to one.

“A swallow symbolizes hope.” Cranton said as Calanthe approached behind Eist.

“You can’t give a medallion to an infant.” Calanthe said as Eist felt her hand rest against his lower back.

“She cannot wear it now, but it can hang on her cradle. She can wear it when she is older.” Eist said to Calanthe. “Thank you,” Eist said turning to Cranton as he bowed. “Your work is exquisite.”

Cranton nodded and bowed again, excusing himself from court.

“I believe Cirilla has turned you into quiet the softy.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned against his arm.

“Ciri.”

“What?”

“Ciri. She likes the name Ciri for short. And yes, this wee pup has turned me into quite the softy.” Eist said as he turned and kissed Calanthe on the forehead.

“Ciri? How do you know she likes to be called that?”

“It is what I call her to calm her when she cries.”

Calanthe sighed against him. “Ciri, huh? I think I like it.”

\--

“Calanthe, this is ridiculous!” Eist yelled at Calanthe as they stood across from each other in front of the fire in their sitting room.

“You are willing to risk it? What if he comes back for her?” Calanthe screamed back at him.

“He will not come back.” Eist said as he ran his hand through his hair, exasperated. “He said he would not come back. He does not want her.”

“And you believe him?”

Calanthe did not understand why Eist was disagreeing with her. The Witcher was destined to come back for Cirilla. If destiny could not be denied, then he would come for her. It was only a matter of time.

“Yes, I believe him. Do you remember what happened the last time you tried to defy destiny? Leave it alone. Call Mousesack off.”

“No.”

“Calanthe, enough! You have no idea what you are doing! Call him off. You will either get Mousesack killed or you will bring ruin to us all!”

Calanthe was growing impatient.

“If I don’t get rid of him now, he will come back for her! What if he wakes up tomorrow and decides to believe in destiny?”

“He won’t.” Eist said, sighing heavily as he said it.

“Mousesack will kill the Witcher, and that is final.” Calanthe said as she stormed into their bedchamber, slamming the door behind her and locking it. Her husband could sleep by himself if he was going to try and pretend that the Witcher would not come back for Ciri.

As far as she was concerned, the Witcher and destiny could go fuck right off.

\--

Calanthe woke early the next morning. She was still upset but reached out subconsciously for her husband nonetheless, only to remember that he was sleeping in a separate bed. She rolled onto her back then, sighing. Something in her was telling her that Eist was right.

She got up then, dressing quickly. There was a chance that Mousesack had not left yet.

The corridors were empty as Calanthe made her way to Mousesack’s chambers. She gave a sigh of relief when she found him still inside them. She did not knock but instead pushed his chamber doors open silently.

“Your Majesty!” Mousesack said, jumping as he turned to see Calanthe standing there.

“You’re not going.”

“What?” Mousesack asked.

“I’ve changed my mind. You will not kill the Witcher.”

Before Mousesack could respond Calanthe turned on her heel and left. As she walked down the hall she had already regretted her decision. She should have the Witcher killed, but she was too stubborn to turn back and change her mind again. Calanthe kept walking, hoping she was not making a terrible mistake.

\--

Cirilla seemed to grow just as fast as Pavetta had, and for Calanthe that was too fast. It seemed it as just yesterday that she was born. Now Cirilla was beginning to walk on her own and speak her first words. Calanthe felt as though everything had fallen into place. She had married the love of her life, a love she never thought she would have but had found anyway. Her daughter was happily married to a man that Calanthe had learned to like. And now she had her granddaughter, a miniature version of Pavetta to run around a fill the palaces with laughter. The only thing that could make everything perfect was a child with Eist.

Mousesack began to make potions and elixirs for Calanthe that would help aid in her conceiving a child. Calanthe took them religiously every morning and then would proceed to drag her husband to their bedchamber, not that he ever complained. Their mornings and nights, and sometimes their afternoons were spent busily trying to make a child of their own, while at court Ciri would sit on Calanthe’s lap, babbling away at anyone who would listen. Calanthe loved to run her hands through Ciri’s soft blonde curls as the Princess giggled away.

\--

Calanthe woke early, feeling nauseous and eventually vomiting. This had been going on for over a week now and it was getting old. When she finished, she walked out their privy chamber to a desk in their sitting room, picking up a journal that she kept. Calanthe had begun tracking her cycle again as she became more and more desperate for a child with Eist.

She looked over it sleepily, marking down that she did not have her cycle yesterday. Calanthe’s eyes slowly began to open more as she stared at her journal before dropping it and running to Eist, who was still fast asleep.

She practically jumped on him as excitement flooded through her at her sudden realization. She grasped his shoulders, shaking him. “Eist! Eist! You bloody fool, wake up!”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Eist asked as he opened his eyes sleepily, reaching out and putting his hands on her sides as he attempted to pull her into his arms.

“Nothing is wrong.” Calanthe said impatiently as she pushed his hands away from her sides and instead brought them to rest against her stomach. “Everything is perfect.”

She smiled to herself as Eist laid there with his back against the pillows looking confused. Calanthe was so happy she could not help the tears that came to her eyes. Eist seemed to understand then.

“You’re sure?” Eist asked as he gently rubbed his thumbs over her stomach.

“I’m sure. I have not bled in two months, between that and the nausea…”

Calanthe could not finish her sentence before Eist took her face in his hands, his eyes tearing up as hers did as well. He kissed her then, his tongue gliding over hers as she felt his tears on her cheeks.

“I love you.” Eist said as he pulled Calanthe into him, wrapping his arm around her and placing his other hand on her abdomen.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered as she curled into him.

\--

“Mother. Mother! Come now it is time to wake. We have a banquet to finish preparing for.”

Calanthe slowly opened her eyes, attempting to focus. She was grateful in a way. Pavetta had pulled her out of a horrible dream that she could not remember besides the empty feeling it left in her. Calanthe held the sheet to her naked chest as she sat up, her other hand naturally falling to rest on her stomach underneath the covers.

“Mother, you look pale. Do you not feel well?” Pavetta asked as she sat on the edge of her mother’s bed.

Calanthe yawned before responding, “I’m fine. I just need to get up.” Calanthe was exhausted however and did not know where she would find the strength to stand.

A sharp pain ripped through Calanthe then, causing her to wince.

“Are you sure you are alright?” Pavetta asked, hovering over her mother.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said, irritated with herself. “Can you hand me my robe?”

Pavetta nodded and stood, crossing the room to collect Calanthe’s robe and return it to her. Pavetta turned her back as Calanthe climbed out of bed and put her robe on.

“So, what do we have left to do today?” Calanthe asked as she tied her robe.

Pavetta responded, Calanthe could see her lips moving as she did. She could not hear her though as she suddenly became dizzy. Calanthe reached out, catching herself on the bed as a pain sharper than before radiated from her stomach. Calanthe sat back down on the bed, taking a deep breath. She barely noticed as Pavetta looked over shoulder.

“Mother… there is blood on the bed.”

“What?” Calanthe asked, turning frantically.

“Did you start your cycle?”

Another surge of pain and dizziness combined ripped through Calanthe then, causing her to slip off the edge of the bed on to her knees.

“Mother!” Pavetta shouted, kneeling onto the floor and putting her arms around Calanthe for support. “What is it? What is happening?” Pavetta frantically asked.

“I’m with child.” Calanthe whispered as she wrapped her hand her abdomen. She fell forward then as Pavetta held out her arms, barely catching Calanthe as she lurched forward in pain, feeling like she would loss consciousness at any moment. “It’s too soon.” Calanthe whispered before she collapsed into Pavetta and falling into darkness.

\--

Calanthe awoke on the floor of the privy chamber, not quite sure how she got there. The pain was there then. Calanthe had been stabbed before in battle. This was worse.

She heard Mousesack’s voice then. “Breath, your Majesty.”

Calanthe realized then that she had been holding her breath. She screamed when she let it out. She curled into herself as another flash of pain came and went. She remembered giving birth to Pavetta. This was worse.

“Eist.” She could barely whisper his name. She did not know where her husband was, but she wanted him with her.

“Tell Vissegerd to find the King at once.” Mousesack said to Pavetta. “Don’t come back in here once you do. You don’t need to see this Princess.”

Calanthe tried to lift her head but she did not have the strength to do it. Apart of her knew what was happening, the other apart of her refused to accept it.

Was a sword being plunged into her gut? It felt like it as tears began to stream down her face as she screamed.

“What is happening?” Calanthe asked as she stared at the wall, her stomach spasming as she asked.

“It will be over soon.” Mousesack whispered softly.

“Please tell me.” Calanthe said as she began to weep.

“You are having a miscarriage. I am so sorry your Majesty. I am so sorry.”

Calanthe felt as though her chest was caving in. She screamed then, not sure if it was more from the pain she felt from losing her child, or the physical pain she was in. In the moment it was hard to say which pain was worse.

It felt like hours had passed when she heard the door rip open.

“You will be alright, your Majesty.” Mousesack said gently to her.

Eist was there then, sitting on the floor and bending down to meet her eyes. She wanted to focus on him, she tried too, but she could not for some reason.

She felt Eist’s hand on her cheek. She knew he was speaking but could not make out what he was saying.

“Well make it stop!” She heard Eist shout as she felt him lift her partially into his lap.

“I can’t. I can’t stop this.”

“You are a healer!”

Calanthe began to sob then. She did not want too, but the pain was too much. She felt Eist’s arm around her then. Eist took one of her hands that was clutching her stomach and held it firmly in his.

“Stop this! I order you!” Eist was practically screaming.

_Why was Eist screaming? It must be bad if he was screaming._

Calanthe closed her eyes then, willing herself to fall asleep.

\--

She was not sure if she passed out or indeed did fall asleep. It was only for a moment, but it was a moment of relief.

She felt Eist’s hands around her, lifting her to sit. She complied as she opened her eyes, staring blankly in front of her.

She felt her robe being removed and replaced with another one.

“Eist?” she asked for him so weakly he should not have heard her.

He kissed her lightly on the corner of her mouth before asking, “Yes, my love?”

She had stopped crying when she asked, “Is this really happening?”

Eist did not respond. When he picked her up and began to carry her to their bed everything set in.

She felt someone hug her but did not know who it was and made no effort to hug them back.

“Did she lose the child?” She heard someone ask. Was it Pavetta? She could not tell.

Calanthe laid there, fully awake but felt like she was asleep. She had stopped crying again. There seemed to be no passage of time as she laid there, staring at the ceiling. There was supposed to be a banquet tonight to announce that she was expecting a child. Calanthe blinked, trying to will herself to get up to cancel the banquet. She did not move though; she did not have the strength too.

She felt a hand that was so large it had to be Eist’s rest against her chest. There was a ringing in her ears that was preventing her from hearing so she turned her head slightly to look at him. She was not ready for the look of utter despair on his face or the tears that fell from his eyes.

“I lost our child.” Calanthe said as she began to cry, her shoulders shaking as she managed to raise her hands to her face.

She felt Eist’s arms around her, pulling her into him. She clutched at him as she pressed her face into his shoulder. She felt Eist kiss the side of her head as she allowed herself to slip away into darkness again.

\--

“You should at least tell your family, Eist.” Pavetta said as she sat beside Calanthe on the fresh new bedding.

Calanthe felt Eist pick her up into his arms as he carried her to the privy chamber, sitting on a chair inside, holding her out of sight until till several servants switched the bedding.

When she was placed back on the bed, she stared ahead as Eist came into view. “Are you okay if I tell them, my love? I won’t if you don’t want me to.” Calanthe only nodded slightly, giving her consent. She watched then as Eist nodded and felt him lean in and kiss her gently before she heard him leave the room. Calanthe continued to stare straight ahead, looking into nothing.

She felt Pavetta take her hand in hers.

“Are you in any pain, Mother?” Pavetta asked gently.

Calanthe said nothing as she continued to stare.

“Mother? Please say something.”

Calanthe tried but could not. She had nothing to say as she began cry. Soon she was wailing, howling even, as Pavetta held her.


	9. Chapter 5A - Eist

**Chapter 5A – Eist**

**Year 1251**

The ground was cold against Eist’s bare feet as he and Mousesack made their way back to Calanthe. Eist was physically and emotionally exhausted. As they approached Eist and Calanthe’s quarters, he could hear Calanthe screaming so hard that she was howling. Mousesack ran ahead, pushing past Calanthe’s handmaidens who were huddled outside of their chamber door. Eist wanted to run, but he couldn’t. Putting one foot in front of the other was difficult enough.

“What is happening? We tried to see the Queen last night, but the guards would not let us past.”

Eist just shook his head. Calanthe had managed to hide her former pregnancy from her handmaidens.

“The Queen will not be needing your services today.” Eist said flatly as he walked past Yuri and Maren through the door, shutting it behind him.

He found Pavetta sitting on the couch with her head in her hands, sobbing. She looked up when Eist shut the door. They stared at each other for a minute, not speaking. Another howl ripped through the room then as Eist lifted his eyes to the closed bedchamber door.

“I don’t believe she is in pain. Not physical pain anyway.” Pavetta said as she stood.

Eist nodded, not taking his eyes off the door.

“I’ve never seen my Mother this way. It’s scaring me and I don’t know what to do for her. I tried to sit with her, but she wouldn’t have it. She screamed at me to get out.” Pavetta said, staring down at her hands.

“There is nothing you can do. Go and get some rest.” Eist said as he passed her, pushing the bedchamber door open, afraid of what he would find behind it.

The vomiting started as Eist opened the door. Mousesack immediately stood, walking over to where the Queen hung over the bed as she retched. Eist just started for a moment. Calanthe looked paler than before with the dark circles under her eyes heavier than his. Her normally glossy dark hair was dull and wild, her eyes red and face swollen from crying. Mousesack looked up as he held a basin to the Queen, catching most of it.

“She is making herself sick from crying.” Mousesack said quietly.

Eist did not respond at first as he stared at his wife. “Is there anything you can give her? You have said before you can magically put people to sleep. Can you do that?” He finally asked Mousesack.

Mousesack looked up and nodded. “Let’s try a potion first. I would rather not use magic on her Majesty if we can avoid it.”

He handed Eist the basin then as he stood. Eist walked over, taking it as Mousesack quickly left. Eist sighed and bent down, putting his hand on Calanthe’s shoulder to steady her. She stopped soon, luckily, she was mostly dry heaving. Calanthe blinked heavily as Eist laid her back, resting on the pillows on their bed. It took a moment, but eventually her eyes focused on him as he set the basin down on the floor and sat on the edge of their bed.

Calanthe’s eyes immediately began to water. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I did…”

Eist immediately began to shush her, stopping her as he bent down and pulled her into his arms. “My love you did not cause this. Do not apologize. This is not your fault,” Eist said as he pulled back enough to look into her eyes. “Do you hear me? Don’t you ever apologize for this.”

Calanthe did not respond, but instead she only looked at Eist blankly. He knew his wife too well. She would blame herself for this forever.

Eist stood then, half walking and half stumbling from exhaustion, as he made his way to his side of the bed, climbing in. His arms were around her as he felt her bury her face in his chest as she began to sob again.

Mousesack came back a few minutes later, carrying a small vial. Eist looked up from Calanthe as he entered, nodding to him.

“My love? Would you like something to help you sleep?” Eist said as he gently wiped Calanthe’s tears away.

He did not think she would take it. Calanthe had sustained brutal wounds in battle and had never accepted anything for the pain. Eist knew this was a different though and suspected she would welcome any physical wound over this. She nodded slightly, closing her eyes tightly and then opening them again as more tears fell.

Mousesack brought the potion to them as Eist sat up more against the pillows, bringing Calanthe up with him.

“Just a little your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he put a small drop into Calanthe’s mouth. Eist was surprised, she did not even ask what it was that she was taking when she opened her mouth slightly. He sighed, rubbing her back as she laid her head back down against his chest.

It took less than a minute for her eyes to close. Eist could feel her breathing slow against him as she fell asleep.

Mousesack leaned in, checking her pulse on her wrist.

“She should be asleep for a while. Depending on how this takes, she may not wake till tomorrow.”

Eist nodded as he bent down and kissed her on the top of her head.

“Do you want some for yourself, your Majesty?”

Eist shook his head. In truth he did want it, but he would not take it. He needed to make sure he could wake easily in case Calanthe woke too and needed him.

“And this will only put her to sleep, yes?”

“Yes. She will sleep deeply and will not dream. Right now, that is probably for the best.” Mousesack said as he sighed and left their bedchamber, shutting the door behind him as he went.

Eist fell asleep soon after. He was not as lucky as his wife though. Eist’s sleep was full of dreams, dreams of a child that he would never hold.

\--

Calanthe was still asleep on his chest when Eist awoke at the sound of the sixth evening bell. He leaned down, kissing her on the head as he raised his hand to stroke her cheek. He rested his hand for a moment, so his thumb was just under her nose. He sighed when he felt her steady breath on his thumb. Eist lifted his other hand and began to rub circles on her back as he stroked her cheek for a few more minutes before getting up. Eist was careful as he lifted Calanthe off of him, placing her back down on the bed gently as he pulled the covers over her to keep her warm. He bent down then, kissing hers softly before walking to the privy chamber.

Eist bathed and dressed quickly. He glanced in the looking glass before walking back to the bedchamber. He looked as bad as he felt, ragged and defeated. The dark circles from that morning where still there, not disappearing even though he had slept. His short scruffy beard was beginning to grow longer than he preferred. Eist dressed quickly and walked out to the sitting room. Lanx was there, adding logs to the fire.

“Your Majesty.” Lanx said, standing up straight.

Eist did not say anything as he crossed the room and sat on a couch.

“I am glad you are awake. Your brother had asked if you and the Queen wanted to dine with him tonight.”

Eist shook his head. “No. Please have some food brought up though. Nothing heavy, I don’t think I could stomach it right now.”

Lanx bowed and then left, leaving Eist alone staring into the fire.

Eist ran his hands through his hair, wondering how he was still so tired after sleeping all afternoon. He glanced at the bedchamber door then, wondering if he should try to wake Calanthe so she could eat. He decided against it, deciding that her sleeping in peace was more important at the moment.

Lanx soon returned with food. Eist found he had less of an appetite than he thought, only eating half of the sandwich that had been made for him.

After he ate, he stood, taking a deep breath. He was still exhausted. Eist stretched and then made his way back to their bedchamber. Eist noticed Calanthe’s bloody robe on the floor when he entered. He picked it up and tossed it into the fire in their bedchamber, not wanting her to see it when she woke.

Soon Eist was pulling Calanthe back onto his chest and running his hands through her hair. Sleep claimed him quickly again, as did the same nightmares he had before.

\--

Eist woke in the morning when the weight of Calanthe against him was suddenly gone. He opened his eyes, feeling her hand bracing herself against his shoulder. She was sitting up and blinking heavily. Eist looked at her but as soon as they made eye contact, she stood, staggering at first, and then made her way to their privy chamber, shutting the door behind her.

She emerged a few moments later, silently, and sat then at her dressing table as she ran her brush through her hair. Eist watched as it took a few moments to brush the knots out, but in the end her hair shone as it always did.

“How are you feeling?” Eist slowly asked as he propped himself up on his elbows.

Calanthe looked into the looking glass, her reflection gazing back at him. She only shrugged lightly in response, frowning as she did so.

Eist sat up then, looking at his wife. She was still pale, the dark circles under her eyes were still there. Her expression, or lack thereof, is what bothered him more though. She did not look sad, angry, mournful. She held no expression at all, with her eyes looking just as empty as they did the previous day when she was lying on the floor, as it was happening. Eist stood, walking to Calanthe. Just as he began to reach her, she stood and walked to her dressing room, closing the door lightly behind her.

Eist froze, the hand that had reached for her still hung in the air as tears stung his eyes. After a moment he turned then, walking to where his clothing was in the spare bedchamber and dressed quickly. When he returned, Calanthe was still not finished. Eist sat on the edge of their bed and waited and finally after almost an hour, Calanthe opened the door. She was in a loose dress and had braided her hair. Her eyes were red and brimming with tears. She stopped when she saw Eist waiting for her.

“We should go down for breakfast. Before the gossip spreads too badly.” Calanthe said softly, not looking at Eist.

“There will be no gossip,” Eist said, standing and walking to her. Eist winced when Calanthe took a step back from him, looking at the floor. He stopped then as he said, “They were told you are ill and that is all they will be told.”

Calanthe nodded as she began to pick at her fingernails. “There is always gossip.”

“My love, we need to talk about happened.”

“No.” Calanthe said quietly, shaking her head slightly.

Eist took another careful step toward her and was relieved that she did pull away. “Yes.” He said gently, reaching for her. For just a moment his hand grazed hers, until she pulled away.

“No, we don’t need to talk about it.” Calanthe said flatly before turning and walking out of their chambers. Eist sighed heavily and then took a deep breath, putting his hand over his mouth, willing himself not to cry as he followed Calanthe down to the banquet hall.

\--

The banquet hall was full of more people than usual as most of the guests that had been invited to the banquet a few nights ago were still there. Eist was following behind Calanthe, a few steps behind her, when they entered. He had tried to speed up his pace and walk next to her, nothing would spark rumors like them entering separately. Calanthe would not slow down though and Eist did not want to push her. Neither of them waited for the herald to announce their entrance.

Eist glanced around as he followed his wife. He could see the surprise on their face as Calanthe strolled through the banquet hall. From what they had been told, she should be too sick to walk.

“Your Majesty!” Bran shouted as Calanthe approached the tables near the back of the hall. Eist could see Bran, Birna, Crach, Mousesack, Pavetta, Duny, and Ciri there. “I am glad to see you feeling well enough to join us. That influenza going around can be brutal.”

The comment seemed to quell any gossip that had started. Eist glanced at Bran, who looked back questionably at him. Eist shrugged back. Neither one of them understood why Calanthe was insisting on putting herself through this. Eist was grateful for his brother attempting to quell any gossip though.

“Grandmama!” Ciri shrieked as she held her little hands out for Calanthe. Eist stopped in his tracks as soon as Calanthe did. Eist could see Calanthe staring at Ciri and knew what was wrong. Eist picked up his speed then, pressing himself against Calanthe as she stood frozen, staring at her granddaughter. His arms went to the sides of her arms, lightly pressing her forward.

“Keep moving, my love.” Eist whispered.

She did move after that. Eist closed his eyes and blinked away tears as Ciri yelled again for her Grandmother and then for him as they walked away. Calanthe normally would have scooped Ciri up to hold her while they ate. He did not want to think about the confusion and hurt little Ciri was certainly feeling right now.

Eist quickly walked around Calanthe when they reached their high table, waiving off the servants and pulling her chair out as he did.

Calanthe sat as Eist noticed her angle her chair slightly away from him.

“Why don’t we eat upstairs.” Eist asked her softly.

“No.”

Servants soon brought their breakfast to them. Eist sighed and picked up a piece of toast, forcing himself to eat it. He glanced over, noticing Calanthe staring at her plate.

“Please eat. Even if it is just a little.” Eist asked her, almost begging.

Calanthe did not move, instead she continued to stare at the eggs that had been placed on her plate by a servant. Eventually he watched as she took a deep breath and drank a sip of water.

Eist reached his hand under the table to take hers. She pulled away quickly just as his hand wrapped around hers. Eist had enough. He stood, feeling everyone’s eyes on him as he silently walked to where Pavetta sat.

“Pavetta, can you please keep an eye on your Mother?” Eist whispered quietly to Pavetta.

“Of course.” Pavetta said as Ciri tried to reach for him from where she sat in Pavetta’s arms. Eist smiled, but barely as he reached out and ruffled her hair. He turned to walk away when Pavetta asked, “Eist, where are you going?”

“I don’t know anymore.”

\--

The smell of salt on the air eased Eist’s pain for a moment as he breathed it in. Eist did not remember how he arrived at the harbor, and to a point did not entirely know what he was doing there. He walked mindlessly, ignoring the greetings and bowing that was going on as he passed. A father walked by then with his daughter on his shoulders. Eist felt sick to his stomach. They were too much of a reminder of what he almost had and that while he and his wife were going through their own personal Hell, everyone else was not.

He found the sloop then, docked near the end of the harbor. He untied it, climbed in, and was soon sailing away from Cintra. He did not think about where he was going, and apart of him did not care.

\--

It was late in the afternoon when Eist stopped sailing and relaxed, sitting on the small deck of the sloop and staring out into the ocean. He could see the outline of Cintra, just on the horizon. Whoever’s boat this belonged too must have been preparing for a journey of their own, which he was thankful for. He found clean water in a barrel and bread and apples in a sack. He would repay them ten-fold when he returned to Cintra.

Eist was not a man to run away from his problems, and he was not running now, no matter how much it may have looked like it to some. Eist laid down on the small deck, putting his hands behind his head. He and his wife never had trouble communicating before. He was always more outspoken; she was more reserved. He would openly show her affection regardless of where they were, Calanthe would usually wait till they were alone. This time was different.

He did not know how to take her pain away. _Was that what was wrong? Is that why she would not speak to him?_ Eist wanted more than anything to tell Calanthe how he felt, he wanted to get if off his chest. And he wanted to know how she felt, to try to understand the pain she was going through. But he couldn’t if she wouldn’t speak to him, let alone look at him. _Did she blame him for this?_ That was fine with him, he would rather Calanthe blame him than herself.

Eist watched as the afternoon sun began to hang low in the sky. The sky faded from blue, then to yellow, then to pink, and then to black. Eist reached out subconsciously reaching for Calanthe, only to quickly remember she was not here with him. He moved his arms behind his head again, sighing to himself as he closed his eyes while the current slowly took him back to Cintra.

\--

Eist had woken in the night when the moon was high in the sky. He did not plan on being on the water so late and was not dressed for the cold that now surrounded him. He put his hands to his mouth for a moment and breathed, using his breath to warm them. The moon was full and bright as he lay back down on his back, looking up at the stars and getting lost in them. He stared at them, intent on rememorizing the map above him. His sloop had slowly drifted back towards the Cintran coast, and he knew from his frequent travels to and from Skellige that he was only two miles of shore.

“Over there!” He heard a familiar voice call out, yet he could not place who it was.

Eist lifted his head then. He had not heard the small ship approach, which meant only one thing. Whoever was sailing it was a Skelligan.

Eist sat up then to see Crach, Mousesack, and Calanthe on a knarr.

“Your Majesty!” Mousesack shouted to him as Crach expertly guided the knarr to sit beside Eist’s sloop. “We have been looking everywhere for you!”

Eist was not looking at Mousesack though, or Crach for that matter. He was staring at Calanthe, who was seething.

She waited for Mousesack to finish before coldly saying, “What the fuck do you think you are doing?”

Eist did not say anything, he only stared at her. He was in shock that she had bothered to come out to sea and look for him.

“You cannot do that to me, Eist! You cannot just leave!”

“I did not leave.”

“Yes, yes you did. It almost three in the morning! I have been wondering where you have been since you stormed out at breakfast!” Calanthe screamed at him as angry tears pooled in her eyes.

“If I recall correctly you wanted nothing to do with me at breakfast! You would barely speak to me!” Eist shouted back.

“Uncle maybe…” Crach said as he looked nervously between the two.

“Just because I don’t want to talk does not mean I want nothing to do with you!” Calanthe screamed back.

“Your Majesty maybe we should…” Mousesack said, looking at Crach as they attempted to stop the King and Queen from fighting more than they already were.

“That’s exactly what it means! You have not considered how I feel about any of this. I lost a child too!” Eist screamed back.

Calanthe’s tears began to fall then as Eist sighed. He did not want to fight with his wife. The four of them stood in silence as Calanthe sat down, crying silently as she stared at the floor of the knarr.

“Here Uncle, lets tow you back.” Crach said as he moved to the back of both ships with a rope.

Eist nodded and helped Crach before climbing aboard the knarr. He looked at Calanthe, who was still sitting silently as Mousesack moved to the front of the knarr to sit beside Crach as they began to row them back to Cintra. Eist sighed and sat down beside Calanthe. She began to slide away from him, but Eist was too fast for her. His arms were around her in a flash, pulling her into him. Eist held her tight as she resisted, just for a moment before she began to sob.

After a moment Calanthe managed to pull away from him as she reached at a pile sitting beside her.

“What’s that?” Eist asked as Calanthe threw it around his shoulders.

“A cloak. You feel so cold.” Calanthe said as she began to rub his arms as tears continued to fall.

Eist smiled and pulled her back into his arms, holding her tightly.

\--

They arrived back at the harbor soon. Eist tied the cloak around his neck as Calanthe mounted the horses they must have rode down on. Eist then climbed behind her and took the reigns as she leaned back into him. Eist locked his arms around Calanthe as she reached up and covered his hands with hers, warming them. Eist leaned forward to rest his cheek against hers, wanting to be as close to her as possible. He kissed her gently on the temple as they rode back.

“Hey.” Calanthe said, turning her neck back towards him after he kissed her.

“Hmm?” Eist asked, leaning forward slightly.

Calanthe kissed him softly on the lips then before saying, “There, that’s better.”

Eist rested his cheek against hers again and smiled.

\--

Cintra was buzzing with soldiers and servants when they arrived back. Soon everyone was announcing that the King had returned. That was when Eist realized that Calanthe had put the entire capital on high alert to find their missing King. She was more worried than he had realized.

“Your Majesty! Thank the Gods, the Queen was worried…” Vissegerd said as he bowed. He stopped speaking when he noticed Calanthe leaning against Eist. Eist nodded at Vissegerd as they passed, making their way to their chambers.

Eist guided her upstairs and soon the pair had changed and was climbing into bed. Eist pulled Calanthe into him as he always did. They laid there, arms wrapped around each other with Eist propped high on the pillows while Calanthe’s head rested between his chest and shoulder as she looked up at him.

“Alright, let’s talk.” She whispered.

Eist felt a smile lift the corner of his mouth as he reached out to stroke her cheek.

“You first,” Eist whispered as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Please tell me how you feel.”

Calanthe lightly laughed sarcastically, “How do I feel?” She said slowly as she repeated the question. “I was raised not to feel. Raised to push every feeling and emotion away. I was successful for a long time, until you came along that is.” Eist smiled softly at her, kissing her gently. “I don’t entirely know how I feel now to be honest. I mostly feel nothing it seems, and then when I do feel something it is just… pain.”

Eist shook his head as his fingers moved down from the place behind her ear that he tucked the loose hair to rest gently on the side of her neck with his thumb grazing her jaw. “I suppose it will take a long time for the pain to go away.” Eist said as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“They weren’t like this before. My last miscarriages. They happened much earlier. I thought since I was further along that everything was fine. I thought I did everything right like I must have with Pavetta.”

Eist kissed Calanthe on her temple. “You did not do anything wrong.”

“Then why did this happen?”

Eist paused for a moment. “I don’t know but Gods I wish I did.”

They laid in silence for a few moments before Calanthe asked, “What about you? How do you feel?”

Eist just looked at his wife from where he laid. He did not entirely know how to describe the pain he was in.

“I saw a father and his daughter on the docks today.” Eist said, feeling tears well in his eyes as he spoke. “I wanted to take our child to the docks…” Eist broke off then as a tear fell. He had tried to hold it back, but he could not anymore.

Eist closed his eyes and as he did, he felt Calanthe shift to be on top of him, her arms wrapping tightly around him as she pressed her forehead to his.

“I never wanted this. No until Ciri.” Eist whispered as Calanthe placed as soft kiss on his lips.

“Until Ciri?”

“The first time I saw you hold her. That was when I knew I wanted a child with you.”

Eist closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them to see Calanthe gazing at him. She smiled, just for a moment. Gods he missed her smile.

“What about you?” Eist asked as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

“Hmmm?” Calanthe asked as she rested her hand on his chest, lightly grazing the back of her fingers across it.

“How long ago did you know you wanted another child?” Eist asked as he placed his hand over hers, resting them both flat against his chest over his heart.

“We had been married less than a month. I had gone to sit with Pavetta while she was sick. I had asked her if Duny was caring for her and she said he was. After that Pavetta mentioned you and how you would care for me and I don’t know… the thought was there then. And I could not get rid of it. Ever since that moment I wanted to have a child with you.”

Eist smiled softly as he adjusted his arm to run his hands through her long hair while the other still rested on his chest, on top of Calanthe’s hand. “Why did you not tell me you wanted a child back then? Why did you wait until you started taking the potions?”

He heard Calanthe sigh. “I was well aware of your dislike for children. I thought if I surprised you, you might have changed your mind. After Ciri was born though, I stopped worrying. You have always been good with her, right from the start.”

They laid there in silence for a while. Eist picked up Calanthe’s hand off his chest and laced his fingers with hers, rubbing the side of her hand with his thumb. He could feel her stroking his hair with her other hand.

“Are we okay?” Eist asked. Ever since he had met Calanthe he had always felt close to her, like he connected easily to her. These last few days was the first time he felt distant from his wife, and it terrified him.

Calanthe lifted her head off of his chest then to meet his eyes.

“Are you worried that we are not?” Calanthe looked confused at his question.

“I must admit I was worried for a moment.” Eist said, staring down into Calanthe’s eyes.

“I’m sor..”

Eist cut her off before she could finish. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“No, let me finish.” Calanthe insisted. “I’m sorry for pushing you away. After it happened, I was so angry. I was angry that the thing I wanted most was lost to us.” Calanthe’s eyes began to fill with tears. “I’ve never been good at talking about how I feel, let alone being with someone who cares.” Eist pulled her closer with that, wrapping his arms securely around her. “I did not mean to shut you out, and I promise I never will again.”

Eist smiled as he pulled Calanthe in to kiss her as her tears began to fall.

“You are everything to me, Calanthe. And I will always be here for you. Always.” Eist whispered when they parted.

Calanthe smiled again. He would do anything to make her smile. “And you are everything to me.” Calanthe said before kissing him. “And I’ll always be here for you. Always.” She repeated.

A few moments later, they parted as Calanthe rested herself on Eist’s shoulder again.

“Can we try again, after I’ve healed?” Calanthe asked so softly it was almost a whisper.

Eist frowned for a moment. He could not imagine he or Calanthe going through this again. He also could not imagine not have a child with his wife.

“Of course. When we are ready.” Eist whispered back.

He could feel Calanthe smile against him. “I love you.” Calanthe whispered.

“I love you too.” Eist whispered back.

Soon they both fell asleep, falling into a world that consisted of dreams with no nightmares to be found.

\--

Overtime, the pain Eist felt began to ease. He and Calanthe talked more openly now and were there for each other when they needed it, as they promised. Eist was there when she held Ciri for the first time after the miscarriage. He held Calanthe, her back pressed against his chest, as she sobbed into Ciri as Calanthe held her. Calanthe was there when they visited Ziven Ozol’s atelier for new cloaks for the winter. On their way back to the palace a small group of children ran by, playing. Eist froze, emotion suddenly and expectedly coming over him. Calanthe’s hand was around his then, guiding him away and putting her arm around his back, showing a very rare form of physical affection in public.

They were there for each other, just as they had promised they would be.


	10. Chapter 5B - Calanthe

**Chapter 5B – Calanthe**

**Year 1251**

“Get out.” Calanthe whispered.

She could feel Pavetta stiffen against her. Calanthe appreciated her daughter being there, at least some part of her did. But Calanthe felt raw, as if a hole had been cut in her, like a part of her had been ripped out.

Pavetta’s face suddenly came into view. She had sympathy written all over her and Calanthe was in no mood for sympathy. She wanted her to go back to the previous day, stop this from happening somehow.

“Mother…”

“Get out!” Calanthe screamed.

Calanthe saw Pavetta flinch, saw the tears form in her daughters’ eyes, saw how she lurched backwards at her sudden outburst. Pavetta stumbled from the bedchamber, too stunned to say anything else.

The screams began without Calanthe realizing at first. She could not help them, could not stop them from escaping her lips. She was not in physical pain anymore. The aching, stabbing, ripping pain she felt the previous day was gone, only to be replaced by emptiness and guilt. She lost her child, but more importantly to her, she lost Eist’s child. Her stomach was still swollen slightly, looking exactly the way it did before it happened. She began howling with grief as her hands rested on her empty abdomen.

The door opened suddenly as Mousesack came in and rushed to the Queen’s side.

“Your Majesty? Are you in pain?”

Calanthe could feel the bile begin to come up her throat through her screams. She leaned over the bed and then Mousesack was there, holding a basin in front of her. She felt the vomit come up out of her. She shook violently, half screaming as it burned coming up her throat.

“She is making herself sick from crying.”

_Who was Mousesack talking too?_

“Is there anything you can give her? You have said before you can magically put people to sleep. Can you do that?”

_Eist, he was talking to Eist._

She could hear the desperation in Eist’s voice as he spoke.

Mousesack spoke again, but she did not hear him. She was having trouble holding herself up. Eist was there then, coming into her vision as she felt his hand on her shoulder, preventing her from falling. _Always there. He was always there._

Calanthe was on her back then, lying against the pillows. Eist was sitting on their bed, leaning over her. All the guilt she had been feeling seemed to surge through her at once. “I’m so sorry I don’t know what I did…”

His arms were around her then, holding her tight as he soothed her. “My love you did not cause this. Do not apologize. This is not your fault.” Eist leaned back then but did not let her go. “Do you hear me? Don’t you ever apologize for this.”

Calanthe looked at him but could not speak. This was her fault. How could it not be? She had been the one carrying their child. She must have done something to cause this.

Eist let go of her and seemed to suddenly appear beside her. She felt his arms wrap around her back as he rolled her to lay on her side along with him. She pressed her face into his chest as she began to sob.

She did not know how long she had been crying for when Mousesack returned.

“My love? Would you like something to help you sleep?” Eist’s thumbs were on her cheeks, wiping her tears.

Calanthe did not enjoy not having control. She drank beer and wine, but never enough to lose herself too it. Fisstech had been offered to her in the past when she was still a princess. A suitor held it out to her to take, but she refused it. Calanthe never wanted to not be in control. However, Calanthe had never felt pain like this before. Losing her father, her mother leaving Cintra upon her accession to the throne, even her two previous miscarriages; none of it hurt like this. If there was ever a time to give up her grip on reality, it was now. She felt herself nod, and then felt Eist sit up and lift her so she was raised slightly higher.

Calanthe opened her eyes weakly as Mousesack said, “Just a little your Majesty.”

The drop was small and would have been unnoticeable except for its horrible taste. She pressed against Eist’s chest then as she felt Eist rub her back. Almost instantly her body began to feel warm. Then it began to tingle as her fingers and toes went numb. She could feel her heartrate slow against her will as the sound of Eist’s seem to grow in her ear. Soon she fell into a dreamless sleep.

\--

Calanthe’s fingers were still numb when she woke. She picked up her hand, opening and closing it and for a moment her vision crossed until it refocused a few seconds later. She could still hear Eist’s heartbeat from under her, although it did not sound as loud as before. _What time is it?_ She wondered to herself. She turned her head then and could see the morning light peaking around the edge of the window covers. Calanthe sat up then, quickly placing her hand on Eist’s shoulder when she became dizzy. She sat up and blinked heavily, trying to push the sleepiness from her eyes.

She saw Eist’s eyes open then. Calanthe knew he would want to talk, and she was in no mood to. She had been taught to not talk about her feelings and she did not want to start now. When their eyes met Calanthe climbed out of bed and stood. She struggled at first, not realizing her toes were still numb until her feet hit the floor. She walked quickly to their privy chamber and shut the door.

Calanthe used the chamber pot and then crossed the room to pick up a spare robe that was folded with the blankets in the corner. She put it on and turned. That was when she noticed the blood stain on the floor. The feeling in her fingers and toes suddenly returned as she willed herself out of the privy chamber and found herself sitting in her vanity. She looked into the looking glass. Her hair looked like a rat’s nest, her skin pale, her under eyes blue. Without thinking she picked up her brush and spent the next few minutes getting the knots in her long hair out.

“How are you feeling?”

Eist’s words startled her, although she did not jump. Apart of her did not know how to respond, the other part of her did not want to even if she did. She looked at Eist through the looking glass. He looked just as worn down as she did. His face was full of sadness and worry. And she had caused it. She had lost their child. No matter what he said, or how he tried to dissuade her, she was carrying their child, and she lost it. Calanthe could not help the frown that appeared on her face as looked at him through the looking glass and shrugged.

She watched him as he got out of bed and walked towards her. She wanted to go to him, to feel his arms around her once more. And then she didn’t. She stood before Eist reached her and walked to her dressing room and shut the door behind her.

Calanthe’s back slid down the back of the door as she silently sat on the floor as her tears began to fall. _Was she going crazy? She must be. She never wanted to be away from her husband. He was her lover, her closest friend, her ally, her King, her everything._ She wiped her tears away then and stood, crossing to a rack full of everyday dresses. She pulled the most comfortable one off and put it on before looking in the mirror. She still looked run down. She sat down on a bench in the room then and braided her hair to the side. When she was done, she sat there, staring into nothing.

She did not know how long she had been staring when she came back to herself, blinking away the tears that were silently falling from her. She stood wiping her tears away again and looked in the looking glass. She waited for a moment, blinking her eyes repeatedly and dabbing at them. Calanthe finally gave up. No matter what she did she supposed she would look like she had been crying. She opened the door then to see Eist sitting on the edge of their bed, waiting for her.

“We should go down for breakfast. Before the gossip spreads too badly.” Calanthe knew from experience how quickly rumors and gossip spread and had seen what rumors and gossip did to other kingdoms if not kept at bay. Her miscarriage could quickly be spun into something more, just as her first two had. So many lies had been spread about her. She must have been unfaithful, must be unfit to carry a king’s child. The gossip hurt at first, emotionally and politically until she pushed it away. She did not want to deal with that again.

“There will be no gossip. They were told you are ill and that is all they will be told.”

Eist approached her as he spoke. Calanthe took a step back from him as he did and began to pick at her fingernails to distract herself from the look on his face. “There is always gossip.”

“My love, we need to talk about happened.”

“No.” Calanthe said quietly as she shook her head. She did not want to talk.

Eist stepped closer to her again as he said “Yes.”

She felt his hand reach for her and graze hers. She pulled away then. “No, we don’t need to talk about it.” She turned then and walked out of their chambers, heading down to the banquet hall.

\--

There were more people than usual. Calanthe had forgotten how many guests had been invited to the banquet that was supposed to announce the impending arrival of the first child of the King and Queen of Cintra and Skellige. She could hear Eist behind her as he tried to match her pace, so she only walked faster. She kept her focus on her chair at the head of the banquet hall, willing herself to avoid the stares of the people around her.

“Your Majesty! I am glad to see you feeling well enough to join us. That influenza going around can be brutal.” Bran shouted as Calanthe approached the tables near the back of the hall.

Calanthe did not know what he was talking about, so she assumed it had something to do with Eist attempting to prevent news of their miscarriage from spreading. She noticed Bran, Birna, Crach, Mousesack, Pavetta, and Dunny sitting at their table then. She also noticed how they looked at her. Their faces were a mix of worry, pity, and sadness. Their faces made her want to run out of the hall and cry.

“Grandmama!”

The sound of her granddaughter went through her like an arrow to her chest. She stopped suddenly, staring at her Ciri as the Princess reached for her. She looked so much like Pavetta when she was young. Tears stung her eyes thinking once again of the child she lost, of what that child would never grow to be.

Calanthe felt hands press against her arms then, Eist’s hands. He was pressing himself against her then, pushing her forward gently. “Keep moving, my love.” He whispered.

Ciri continued to yell for Calanthe and Eist as they walked away. Calanthe blinked as one tear fell and she just as quickly wiped it away. She wanted to pick Ciri up, to hug her tightly and never let her go. But she couldn’t, not now. That would be a different kind of torture that she was not ready for.

Eist pulled out her chair when they reached their seats. As she took hers, she angled her chair away from Eist subtly. She did not want to look him, did not want to see the pain on his face.

“Why don’t we eat upstairs.” Eist asked her softly.

“No.”

Food was soon plated for them by servants. The smell made Calanthe nauseous. She stared at her food, not looking away. Looking away would mean looking at the many faces in the hall.

“Please eat. Even if it is just a little.”

Calanthe sighed and took a sip of water. Even though her throat was dry, the water still did not taste good.

She felt Eist’s hand reach for hers under the table. His hand was warm as it wrapped around hers as he squeezed gently. Calanthe pulled away. She was not entirely sure why she did. Her hand normally felt good in his, but today it did not.

Eist stood suddenly and walked away from the table. Calanthe was startled, not understanding where he was going. She watched him as he walked to Pavetta. She could not hear what he was saying, and then he was gone, walking out of the banquet hall. Pavetta turned to look at her but could not read the look on her face.

Calanthe suddenly felt as alone as she looked, sitting by herself in front of her subjects. She looked down as tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away like so many times before. She did not know where Eist went, but she already missed him.

\--

Calanthe waited for a few minutes. Eist would come back. He probably had to use the privy or wanted something different to drink than what was being served. He would come back.

Except this time Eist did not come back.

Calanthe stood. She did not know how much time had passed but she was tired of waiting, tired of sitting.

“Where are you going, Mother?” Pavetta asked, suddenly standing beside Calanthe.

Calanthe looked away, rolling her eyes. She was not in the mood for her daughter to coddle her.

“Back to my chambers.” Calanthe said as she began walking away.

“How about a walk in the gardens?” Pavetta asked, stepping in front of Calanthe, blocking her escape from the banquet hall.

“Where did Eist go?” Calanthe ask, her eyes narrowing.

“I don’t know, he did not tell me.” Pavetta answered truthfully.

“Then what did he say to you before he left?”

“He… He asked me to keep an eye on you.”

“Keep an eye on me? I’m not a child.” Calanthe said stubbornly. “Move out of the way.”

“No, Mother. I won’t move. He is worried about you. You should have seen him when it happened.”

Calanthe glanced around. The guests in the hall were starting to stare. She turned then, quickly going out the back door of the hall that was nearly hidden behind a tapestry. She could hear Pavetta huff as she followed her.

“Mother, come back.” Pavetta said as Calanthe walked into the small room that was behind the banquet hall.

Calanthe stopped but did not turn around. She heard Pavetta shut the door before she spoke again.

“I cannot imagine what this is like for you, but Eist is not doing well and whatever is going on between you two is not helping. He lost a child too.”

Calanthe could feel her eyes filling with water. She had hurt him in more ways than one apparently. First, she lost his child, then her unwillingness to let him in hurt him again. Calanthe felt her shoulders slump as she began to cry.

Pavetta put her arms around her then, causing Calanthe to cry harder.

“Have you talked to him? Have you told him how you feel or asked him how he feels?” Pavetta asked as she rubbed her mother’s back.

“No. I can’t. It hurts too much. And I don’t know if I could bare hearing from him how bad he feels. I can barely process how I feel right now.”

Pavetta broke away then, looking at Calanthe. “I know it hurts, but the both of you need to grieve. You both lost a child. I have to believe that you will feel better once you talk to him. He is the only person on the Continent that can understand you right now.”

Calanthe nodded. “You don’t know where he went?”

“No, I swear he did not tell me.”

Calanthe nodded again, wiping away her tears with her hands.

“Alright, I’ll go look for him. If you see him, will you tell him I’m looking for him.”

“Of course.” Pavetta said before hugging Calanthe again.

\--

Calanthe was beginning to worry. It was late afternoon and she could not find Eist. She had gone to their chambers fist, expecting to find him there. When she did not, she left and went to the training yard, then the armory. Eist was not there either. She went back to the banquet hall, which was now empty. She went then to Mousesack’s chambers.

“Is the King here?” Calanthe said, pushing Mousesack’s door open without knocking.

Mousesack jumped, dropping the book he was reading.

“No, your Majesty. I have not seen him since breakfast. He is not with you?” Mousesack said.

“No, he is not. If you see him tell him I am looking for him, will you?”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Mousesack said bowing.

She tried Crach’s quarters then, which were empty, so then she made her way to Bran’s.

“Bran?” Calanthe called through the door as she softly knocked.

A moment later Bran’s door swung opened with him standing there, looking shocked.

“Ard Rhena.” Bran said bowing. “What can I do for you?”

“Is Eist here?”

“No, I have no seen him since breakfast.”

“You and everyone else.” Calanthe muttered.

Calanthe turned to leave, but Bran spoke before she could.

“Eist told me what happened.” Calanthe turned at that to face him. “I truly am sorry. Eist’s mother, my mother lost a child while in the womb too. It is horrible to see. Our mother was devastated. Eist was too young when it happened to remember, but I do.”

“I’m sorry.” Was all Calanthe could think to say.

“Don’t be. It is a horrible thing. My brother is devastated, as I know you are. You will get through it though.”

Calanthe looked up at Bran then. Even though he was shorter than Eist, he was still taller than her.

“You will, I promise. I wish I could put into words how Eist feels about you. I’ve never heard a man talk about a woman like he does about you. Do you remember all the people that you said you saw on Skellige when you toured with Eist?”

Calanthe nodded, but she did not know where he was going with this.

“That was a very large, abnormal amount of Skelligan’s to be in one area. They were there to see you. And if you wonder why they were there at all, it is because all Eist would talk about was you when he came back from Cintra before you wed. Everywhere he went, every village, pub, store, armory, port, harbor. All he spoke of was you. He made you a legend without trying. So, when he finally married this woman that he described as a living Goddess, they all came out to see you.”

Calanthe felt a tear fall down her cheek. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat, quickly wiping the tear away.

“If you see him please tell him I have been looking for him and that I will be in our chambers.”

And with take Calanthe turned and walked away. She wanted Eist with her more than anything now.

\--

The ninth evening bell rang out as Calanthe sat curled up on a couch near the fire in their chambers. She had barely touched the food Pavetta had sent up for dinner when Calanthe did not go down for the evening meal. For a moment she absentmindedly stroked her swollen abdomen, only to quickly pull her hand away. Calanthe sighed, fighting back more tears. She was sick of crying.

Calanthe looked up when she heard footsteps approach her door, only for them to continue down the corridor. She turned back towards the fire, sighing as she did. _Where was Eist?_ Calanthe fell asleep soon after, curled in a ball on the couch.

Calanthe woke with a start when the twelve bell rang out. She sat up suddenly, looking around, expecting to see Eist standing there. Only he wasn’t. Calanthe had enough then. She stood, put on her boots and grabbed her travel cloak before she made her way down to Mousesack’s chambers.

She pounded on Mousesack’s door before pushing it open. It took a few moments for Mousesack to come stumbling out of his bedchamber.

“Yo… your Majesty.” Mousesack said through a yawn before standing up straight. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Get dressed. We are going to find Eist. I’ll get Crach and be right back.”

Calanthe soon returned to Mousesack’s chambers with Crach who looked as though he would fall over any minute due to lack of sleep.

The three were soon making their way down to the main gate outside the palace walls.

“Mod-Ron, are you sure he is not somewhere in the palace?” Crach asked through a yawn.

“Yes, I am sure,” Calanthe huffed. “but I will have the servants check every room just to be sure.”

“And where exactly are we going?” Mousesack asked as they reached the gate.

“To the harbor.” Calanthe said.

When they opened the door, they were greeted by a cold breeze and a dark sky. Vissegerd was still awake, standing near the gate, talking to a few soldiers while drinking a beer. He dropped to his knee when he saw Calanthe approach as did the rest of the soldiers.

“Has the King been out here with you at all today?” Calanthe asked. She could hear the desperation in her own voice but did not care. She needed to find her husband.

“No, your Majesty. Is everything all right?”

“No, it is not. Sound the bells. The King is missing.”

Vissegerd’s eyes widened before he looked at one of the soldiers standing beside him.

“You heard her Majesty, sound the bells! Wake every solider and servant in the palace! We must find the King!”

“Thank you.” Calanthe said as she grasped Vissegerd on his arm before walking around him.

“Your Majesty, where are you going?”

“To the harbor. The King may be there.”

“Let me send some of the troops. It is cold, you should stay here.”

Calanthe turned. She did not have to say anything, her look to Vissegerd was enough to get him to stop.

“At least let me gather an escort for you, your Majesty.”

“Thank you but I already have one.” Calanthe said as Crach whistled to a nearby solider.

“Oy! Bring three horses this way, will you?” Crach shouted.

Calanthe shivered as the soldier jogged towards the stables.

“Vissegerd, is there a cloak or blanket nearby?”

Vissegerd nodded and went inside a nearby room that held weapons in case of an attack and returned with dark blue Cintran cloak.

Mousesack looked at Calanthe, raising his eyebrow.

“He may be cold.” Calanthe said as the soldier returned with three horses.

The three soon mounted their horses and made their way past the gates. Calanthe looked out at the sea miles in front of her. She knew Eist preferred being on water over land. The night air only seemed to grow colder as they made their way down to the harbor. Calanthe pulled the cloak Vissegerd gave her closer to her, wanting nothing more than to wrap it around Eist and bring him back home.

\--

They soon reached the harbor. It was colder there with the wind blowing icy air off of the sea water.

“Fuck!”

Calanthe looked up towards the voice as she dismounted her horse. The moon was high in the cloudless sky. That worked in their favor, it was too windy for torches. The moon would be their only source of light tonight.

Crach jumped off his horse then. “Wait here, Mod-Ron.” He said as he walked towards the man who made the voice.

“Can I help you, friend?” Crach asked.

“My sloop is gone!” the man said.

“Your what?” Mousesack asked as he walked closer after tying the horses’ reigns to a nearby post.

“My sloop! Don’t you know what a sloop is?” the man said, clearly now more irritated than before.

“It’s a type of ship.” Calanthe said as she walked around Crach and Mousesack. Eist had told her about them before. They could be sailed great distances with one crew member. It was not easy, but it could be done.

“I knew that.” Crach said as Calanthe walked around him.

“Someone stole your ship, sir? Is that what you are saying?” Calanthe asked, walking closer to the man.

“Yes woman, that is what I’m saying!”

“Careful, friend. You are speaking to your Queen.” Crach said, pulling his axe from his belt.

The man stopped as his eyes grew wide. He bowed immediately. “Your Majesty, I apologize. I did not know it was you.”

“Apparently not.” Calanthe said, slightly amused. “Come to the palace in a few days’ time. I will see to it that you are given more than enough coin for a new ship.”

“Majesty, thank you! Why would you do that?”

“Because I believe the King has stolen your ship.”

“What?” the man looked up in disbelief.

Calanthe raised her brows and motioned to a ship nearby. “Do you happen to know who that knarr belongs too?”

The man chuckled. “You know your ships, your Majesty.”

“Of course I know my ships. The King is from Skellige after all. Do you know whose ship that is or not?”

“I do, Majesty. It is my brothers.”

Calanthe laughed for a moment. “That is ironic. Tell your brother to come to the palace too then.”

“Why, your Majesty?”

“Because I am stealing his ship.”

And with that Calanthe strode towards the knarr carrying the extra cloak with Mousesack and Crach following her. Crach untied the ship from the dock as Mousesack grabbed an oar.

“Your Majesty are you sure this is a good idea? We don’t even know if he is out here.” Mousesack said, looking up at Calanthe.

“He is out here. I know it.”

Mousesack nodded and looked at Crach who sat beside him and picked up his oar. They nodded to each other and then began to row them out to see.

\--

Calanthe was surprised as to how silent it was on the water. No wonder Eist liked being out here so much. She had not experienced this silence when she and Eist would sail back and forth from Skellige. There were always too many people on board to hear this, to hear silence.

“Mod-Ron, can I ask you something?” Crach asked quietly as his eyes scanned the horizon.

Calanthe sighed. “Yes.”

“Are you alright?”

Crach’s question caught her off guard.

“Honestly? No. I am not. I miscarried yesterday and my husband is missing today.”

Calanthe looked over and saw Mousesack smacked Crach on the back of the head and then heard him whisper, “That was a stupid question.”

Calanthe smiled slightly.

“What are you going to do if we find the King out here?” Mousesack asked.

“I am going to kick his ass the whole way back to Cintra for making me worry.” Calanthe said as tears formed again in her eyes. She was truly very worried.

\--

The knarr continued silently on the waters. Calanthe was beginning to have trouble keeping her eyes open.

“Your Majesty, maybe we should go back. I don’t think he’s out here.” Mousesack said quietly.

“Do you think he sailed the whole way back to Skellige?” Calanthe asked, ignoring Mousesack.

“No Mod-Ron, the King would not make it on a sloop, and he knows that. I do not think he would risk it either.”

Calanthe nodded as she looked up and saw the shape of a ship forming ahead of them.

Crach saw it too. “Over there!” Crach yelled, hitting Mousesack on the arm as he said so. Both men began to row swiftly, their oars silently slicing through the water as they did so.

Calanthe saw Eist first when he sat up. He was only wearing the thin shirt and pants he had worn to breakfast earlier. He looked cold. She felt a rush of relief go through her, which quickly turned to anger. Crach guided the knarr to sit beside Eist’s sloop.

“Your Majesty!” We have been looking everywhere for you!” Mousesack yelled.

Calanthe stared at Eist. She could see the shock on his face in the moonlight. She hoped he could see her anger as she glowered at him.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” Calanthe said. She was so angry she wanted to scream.

Eist just stared at her, which only made her angrier.

“You cannot do that to me, Eist! You cannot just leave!”

“I did not leave.” Eist said quietly.

“Yes, yes you did. It is almost three in the morning! I have been wondering where you have been since you stormed out at breakfast!” Calanthe screamed as she felt tears form in her eyes.

“If I recall correctly you wanted nothing to do with me at breakfast! You would barely speak to me!” Eist shouted back as his breath froze in the air.

“Uncle maybe…” Crach said as he looked nervously between the two.

“Just because I don’t want to talk does not mean I want nothing to do with you!” Calanthe screamed back.

“Your Majesty maybe we should…” Mousesack said, looking at Crach as they attempted to stop the King and Queen from fighting more than they already were.

“That’s exactly what it means! You have not considered how I feel about any of this. I lost a child too!” Eist screamed back.

Calanthe’s tears began to fall as she sat down on the knarr. She knew he was right. She had been so wrapped up in her pain that she had forgotten that he was dealing with his.

“Here Uncle, lets tow you back.” Crach said as he moved to the back of both ships with a rope.

After a few moments Calanthe felt Eist sit close beside her. She tried to slide away but Eist caught her and pulled her into her. She resisted for a moment, but he only held her tighter. She could not stop the sobs that came from her then.

After a moment Calanthe managed to pull away from Eist as she reached for the cloak she brought with her.

“What’s that?” Eist asked as Calanthe threw it around his shoulders.

“A cloak. You feel so cold.” Calanthe said as she began to rub his arms as tears continued to fall.

She saw Eist smile then before pulling her back into his arms.

\--

They arrived back at the harbor soon, the man that they had encountered earlier long gone. Calanthe hoped he and his brother came to the palace. She would repay him and his brother ten-fold for their ships. Eist tied the cloak around his neck as Calanthe mounted the horse. Eist then climbed behind her and took the reigns as she leaned back into him. Eist locked his arms around Calanthe as she reached up and covered his hands with hers, warming them. Calanthe could feel Eist’s cheek close to hers as his stubble brushed against her. He kissed her gently on the temple as they rode back.

“Hey.” Calanthe said, turning her neck back towards him after he kissed her.

“Hmm?” Eist asked, leaning forward slightly.

Calanthe kissed him softly on the lips then before saying, “There, that’s better.”

She smiled as Eist rested his cheek against hers again and felt him smile too.

\--

Vissegerd was at the Cintran gates when the group arrived back. Calanthe was impressed by the sight she saw. Soldiers and guards were everywhere, running around like mad. At least they had taken her order seriously.

“Your Majesty! Thank the Gods, the Queen was worried…” Vissegerd said as he bowed. He must not have noticed Calanthe at first.

Calanthe could feel Eist’s arm tighten around her waist as they walked upstairs. She sighed when he kissed her temple again as they walked. Soon they were in bed with Eist propped high on their pillows and Calanthe in her usual spot, her head resting between Eist’s chest and shoulder as she looked up at him.

“Alright, let’s talk.” Calanthe whispered. She was not ready to say how she felt, but she would not avoid it any longer. Avoiding it was not helping.

“You first,” Eist whispered as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Please tell me how you feel.”

Calanthe lightly laughed sarcastically, “How do I feel?” She said slowly as she repeated the question. “I was raised not to feel. Raised to push every feeling and emotion away. I was successful for a long time, until you came along that is.” Eist smiled softly at her, kissing her gently. “I don’t entirely know how I feel now to be honest. I mostly feel nothing it seems, and then when I do feel something it is just pain and guilt.”

“I suppose it will take a long time for the pain to go away. As for the guilt, I wish you would stop blaming yourself for this.” Eist said as he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“They weren’t like this before. My last miscarriages. They happened much earlier. I thought since I was further along that everything was fine. I thought I did everything right like I must have with Pavetta.”

Calanthe felt Eist kiss her on her temple. “You did not do anything wrong.”

“Then why did this happen?”

Eist paused for a moment. “I don’t know but Gods I wish I did.”

They laid in silence for a few moments before Calanthe asked, “What about you? How do you feel?”

“I saw a father and his daughter on the docks today.” Eist said, as tears welled in eyes as he spoke. “I wanted to take our child to the docks…” Eist broke off then as a tear fell.

Calanthe shifted herself, raising herself up so she could press her forehead against his.

“I never wanted this. No until Ciri.” Eist whispered as Calanthe placed as soft kiss on his lips.

“Until Ciri?”

“The first time I saw you hold her. That was when I knew I wanted a child with you.”

Calanthe could not help the smile that came to her for a moment.

“What about you?” Eist asked as he kissed her on top of the head.

“Hmm?” Calanthe asked as she rested her hand on his chest, lightly grazing the back of her fingers across it.

“How long ago did you know you wanted another child?” Calanthe watched as Eist put his hand over hers and lightly pressed her palm down so it laid flat over his chest as his hand covered hers. She could feel his heartbeat in her palm now.

Calanthe remembered as the sudden realization fell on her, remembered how badly she wanted a child with her husband. “We had been married less than a month. I had gone to sit with Pavetta while she was sick. I had asked her if Duny was caring for her and she said he was. After that Pavetta mentioned you and how you would care for me and I don’t know… the thought was there then. And I could not get rid of it. Ever since that moment I wanted to have a child with you.”

Calanthe closed her eyes briefly, relaxing even more than she already was when Eist began to run his hand through her hair. “Why did you not tell me you wanted a child back then? Why did you wait until you started taking the potions?” he asked.

Calanthe sighed. “I was well aware of your dislike for children. I thought if I surprised you, you might have changed your mind. After Ciri was born though, I stopped worrying. You have always been good with her, right from the start.”

Calanthe laid back down against him as they laid there in silence for a while. Eist picked up Calanthe’s hand off his chest and laced his fingers with hers, rubbing the side of her hand with his thumb. She reached up and began stroking his hair with her other hand.

“Are we okay?” Eist asked.

Calanthe lifted her head off of his chest then to meet his eyes.

“Are you worried that we are not?” Calanthe was confused at his question.

“I must admit I was worried for a moment.” Eist said, staring down into Calanthe’s eyes.

“I’m sor..”

Eist cut her off before she could finish. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

“No, let me finish.” Calanthe insisted. “I’m sorry for pushing you away. After it happened, I was so angry. I was angry that the thing I wanted most was lost to us.” Calanthe could not help the tears that formed in her eyes. “I’ve never been good at talking about how I feel, let alone being with someone who cares.” Eist pulled her closer with that, wrapping his arms securely around her. “I did not mean to shut you out, and I promise I never will again.”

Eist smiled as he pulled Calanthe in to kiss her as her tears began to fall.

“You are everything to me, Calanthe. And I will always be here for you. Always.” Eist whispered when they parted.

Calanthe smiled again. “And you are everything to me.” Calanthe said before kissing him. “And I’ll always be here for you. Always.” She repeated.

A few moments later, they parted as Calanthe rested herself on Eist’s shoulder again.

“Can we try again, after I’ve healed?” Calanthe asked so softly it was almost a whisper. She could feel Eist tense slightly at her question, but he soon relaxed.

“Of course. When we are ready.” Eist whispered back.

Calanthe smiled against his chest. “I love you.” Calanthe whispered.

“I love you too.” Eist whispered back.

Soon they both fell asleep, falling into a world that consisted of dreams with no nightmares to be found.

\--

Overtime, the pain Calanthe felt began to ease. She and Eist talked more openly now and were there for each other when they needed it, as they promised. Calanthe sobbed the first time she held Ciri after the miscarriage. Holding her Granddaughter was a sharp reminder of what they lost, but also of what they already had. Eist held Calanthe as she cried, allowing her back to fall into him as she did. Eist froze when he saw a group of young children playing outside when as they left Ziven Ozol’s atelier after ordering new cloaks for the winter. Calanthe watched as his face fell and tears start to form in his eyes. Without thinking of where she was or who was around, she took his hand in hers and guided him away. She quickly remembered where she was then as the people and guards around her looked at her questionably. Calanthe did not show signs of affection and was known for her steel demeanor. She quickly put her arm around her King’s back, deciding she didn’t give a damn about what any of them thought.

They were there for each other, just as they had promised they would be.


	11. Chapter 6A - Eist

**Chapter 6A – Eist**

**Year - 1255**

“Where could Ciri be, I wonder?” Eist asked aloud as he pretended he could not see his five-year-old granddaughter hiding in plain sight in the Cintran gardens. He could hear Ciri giggle from behind the small tree she had attempted to hide behind. “Where oh where could she be?” Eist asked as he began to walk away, pretending to head towards the garden doors. He smiled when he heard Ciri shriek, glancing around in time to see her jump from behind the tree and shout, “I’m here Grandpapa, I’m here!”

Eist laughed as Ciri ran to him, holding out her little arms. Eist caught her as she jumped at him and stood, tossing her in the air. Court was in session and Eist was luckily able to convince Pavetta that Ciri needed some fresh air after the heavy rains from the last few days, leaving himself and her to explore the gardens. Pavetta and Duny were with Calanthe as she began grooming them for their future roles as monarchs.

“Higher Grandpapa, higher!” Ciri yelled as Eist tossed her into the air again, catching her easily.

After a few more tosses, Eist set Ciri down as the little Princess giggled madly.

“Grandpapa?” Ciri asked as she pulled at Eist’s pant leg.

“Yes, little pup?”

“Can we go see the boats?”

Eist looked down at Ciri and smiled. She was clutching his leg now, eyes wide with her head bent the whole way back to look at him.

“Only if you promise to not jump in the water this time.” Eist said as he lifted a brow at his Granddaughter.

Ciri only giggled in response.

Eist had been scolded by his wife and stepdaughter the last time he took Ciri to the harbor. She had become so excited see a ship come into port that she accidently ran right off the dock, causing Eist to have to jump into the water after her. The water was shallow, but Ciri was not a good swimmer yet, causing the girl to scream when she could not keep herself above water. Eist scooped her up quickly and gently patted her back, ensuring she coughed up the sea water she swallowed. When he and Ciri arrived back at the castle soaking wet he could not tell if the Queen or Princess was more furious with him. Ciri, on the other hand, thought it was hilarious and after an initial bought of crying from the shock of falling in the sea, insisted on playing at the water’s edge. Ciri splashed around like mad and attempted to pick up a crab until Eist pushed her hand out of the way, getting pinched himself in the process.

“Alright pup, but we cannot be too long.” Eist said as he picked Ciri up and set her on his shoulders. He made his way to the castle with Ciri’s little hands resting on the top of his head.

Eist and Ciri were soon on a horse, making their way down to the Cintran harbor. Ciri sat in Eist’s lap with one of his hands wrapped around her and the other holding the reigns.

When they arrived, it did not take long for Ciri to begin to wiggle in Eist’s arms.

“Boats! Boats! Boats!” she screeched when they arrived at the docks.

Eist laughed as he took Ciri in one arm as he climbed off the horse. “Yes, yes wee pup. There are the boats.”

Ciri tried to get free of Eist’s arms, but he only held her tighter.

“No, no, no. You need to stay with me lest you find yourself in the water again.” Eist said as he quickly repositioned Ciri so she sat in the crock of his elbow, his arm wrapped around her, legs dangling down, with her back against his arm and shoulder.

People bowed as they passed Eist and Ciri as they themselves made their way to the Cintran royal flagship that bore a crowned lion as its figurehead.

“Kitty!” Ciri yelled, pointing at the figurehead as Eist began to walk the gangplank.

Eist burst into laughter at that. “Don’t let your Grandmother hear you call it that.” Eist said as he kissed Ciri on the head, still chuckling as he walked.

Once aboard, Eist stood at the entrance to the ship and set Ciri down, letting her run around the deck. Eist laughed as Ciri ran after several seagulls, quickly chasing them away. As always, Ciri soon tired and sat on the deck as she stared out into the sea. Eist walked to her then, sitting down behind her as he pulled her into his lap.

“Swim time?” Ciri said as she sleepily looked up at Eist.

“Not today.” Eist said as he looked down at Ciri as she frowned. “You can swim all you want when we get to Skellige in a few months.”

Eist smiled softly when Ciri hung her head to pout. She was tired now, so pouting quickly turned to closing her eyes and curling up in Eist’s lap. The sun was still high as he took the sleeping Princess back to Cintra. When he arrived back, he carefully dismounted his horse, holding Ciri close as he did.

“I’m glad to see she did not fall in the water this time.”

Eist smiled as he heard Calanthe’s voice behind him. He turned then to see her gliding towards him in the courtyard with a subtle smirk on her face. When she reached them, she kissed Ciri gently on the forehead before leaning up as Eist bent down to kiss his wife.

“How did you know we were at the docks?” Eist asked as they made their way back to palace.

“Because I know you all too well, my husband.” Calanthe quipped back as she wrapped her hand gently around his arm while they walked.

Eist chuckled. Before reaching the doorway to the palace, Calanthe stopped.

“Can I take her?” She asked Eist as she caressed his arm from where her hand rested against it.

“Of course, my love.” Eist said as he gently handed Ciri over to her grandmother.

The little girl shifted for a moment, and then settled in her Grandmother’s arms. Eist smiled as he watched Ciri’s head rest on Calanthe’s shoulder, her blonde curls escaping the braid that they were woven into. Calanthe smiled too, holding Ciri tight as she rocked her for a moment. Eist swallowed, sighing to himself as the three made their way inside. It was times like these when Eist still yearned for a child with Calanthe.

\--

Eist groaned at the sudden disappearance of Calanthe’s body lying against his in the morning. He had awoken a few moments ago as Calanthe adjusted herself against him. Eist adjusted himself in return as she settled, waiting till she became still again to press his cheek against hers. Just as he was about to fall back asleep, Calanthe shifted again.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked, half asleep, as he began to rub his hand up and down her arm, gently stroking with his thumb as he did.

“I’m so nauseous.” He could hear it in her voice, she did not feel well.

Before Eist could respond, she was gone, practically running out of bed towards the privy chamber. Eist sat up as he rubbed sleep from his eyes and yawned. The sound of vomiting soon filled the air as he turned his head towards the open privy chamber door, eyes focusing as he did. Eist stood then as he reached for his robe and stubbled out of bed.

Calanthe was leaning over an empty chamber pot, vomiting into it. Eist took a deep breath and went to her, pulling her messy braid over her shoulder. Eist smiled as he picked up her hair, remembering everything they did the previous night that caused it to be so askew. He bent down then, hands sliding over her shoulders and down the front of her as his fingertips curved in below her collarbone, resting there to hold her up as he bent down and kissed her on top of her head. It was over as quickly as it came.

Eist helped Calanthe stand when it was over, putting his arm around her waist to help her rise as he guided her back to their bed.

“Did you eat something that upset your stomach?” Eist sleepily asked as he helped Calanthe sit on the edge of their bed and climb back in as he pulled the covers over her.

He could see the corners of Calanthe’s mouth raise into the softest of smiles before he made his way to his side of the bed.

“I don’t know if that’s it, darling.” Calanthe breathed out as she fell asleep before Eist pulled the covers over himself.

He smiled down at her as he settled himself underneath the covers, rolling on his side to face her. Eist rested his hand against the curve at her waist and moved himself so he was pressed against Calanthe with the tip of his nose grazing hers before he quickly fell back asleep.

\--

The bell rang out signaling the ninth morning hour when Eist woke for the second time that day. He lifted his head slightly to look over to the window covers to see daylight streaming through at the edges. He sighed then, kissing Calanthe gently on the lips before rolling onto his back and stretching. He eyed Calanthe out of the corner of his eye as she sighed softly beside him, searching slowly as she stuck her arm out, tension slowly rising in her expression. He quickly finished his stretch and laid back down beside her, smiling at the smile that appeared across her own face when her hand grazed his shoulder.

Eist climbed on top of her then, his face aligned with hers as he gazed down at her, the back of his fingertips caressing her cheek as he did so. Calanthe sighed again as she leaned her head softly into his touch.

“Wake up, my love.” Eist whispered as he bent down and placed a soft kiss to her lips.

Calanthe’s eyes slowly opened to meet his as she smiled softly. “Good morning.” Calanthe whispered as Eist bent back down to kiss her again.

“Good morning to you too.” Eist whispered back as he rested his forehead against hers. “Are you feeling any better?”

“I am.” Calanthe responded through a yawn.

A soft knock sounded at the door. “Your Majesties?” Yuri called from the other side.

“Apparently we are taking too long to wake.” Calanthe whispered as Eist kissed the side of her mouth.

Eist nodded as he caressed her nose with his before responding, “Have breakfast brought up.”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Yuri responded.

Their food was brought up soon after they asked for it. Calanthe dismissed Yuri and Maren for the morning as Eist did for Lanx so they could spend the morning alone.

“Do you have any free time over the next few weeks?” Eist asked as Calanthe pulled out various letters and laid them on the table beside her plate.

“Hmm?” Calanthe asked as she began reading the one on top.

“Calanthe.” Eist said firmly, which prompted Calanthe to lift her gaze to him from her letter.

“Do you have any free time over the next few weeks?” Eist asked, repeating himself.

Calanthe scrunched her brow. “The ambassador from Cidaris will be here for three days. After he leaves there will be no visitors or banquets until the Nilfgaardian ambassador arrives in another two weeks.”

“Good.” Eist said, “Keep your calendar clear.”

“And why is that?” Calanthe asked as she narrowed her eyes questionably at him. He could hear the suspicion in her voice as she spoke.

“Because I would like some time alone with my wife.”

Calanthe raised her brow. “Oh really?” she asked playfully.

“Yes. I want just a few days of no meetings, ambassadors, dignitaries or military leaders. And I don’t want anyone knocking on our damn door either.”

Calanthe laughed softly at that. “And where are we going to have this alone time at? Are we going to Skellige sooner than expected?”

“No, it would take too long to arrange. No, we can have it here. And if anyone disturbs us, I’ll have their head.”

“And how are we going to fill our time, my dear husband?” Calanthe asked as she smirked at him.

“Let’s just say I would prefer it if we partake in certain activities that do not require any clothing.” Eist responded as he looked up at Calanthe and winked.

“Do you plan on seducing me, Eist Tuirseach?”

“Oh, I plan on doing much more than that, my love.”

\--

It was another week before Eist could have his alone time with his wife. He was admittedly in a foul mood when he went to bed the previous night, exhausted from his long day between meetings and spending time overseeing the arrival of shiploads of fresh fish caught on the Isle’s which were sent to Cintra. Calanthe stayed up later than usual, pouring over reports she insisted on memorizing for her meetings with the Cidaris ambassador. While Eist appreciated her passion and work ethic, he also appreciated being able to fall asleep with her in his arms.

“You should look over these reports too.” Calanthe said when Eist put his hands on her shoulders, asking her to come to bed.

“I will when I am not completely exhausted.” Eist said through a yawn.

He felt Calanthe’s hand reach up and wrap around his as it rested on her shoulder. “I’ll come to bed in a minute.”

“Alright.” Eist said as he let go of Calanthe and walked to their bedchamber.

He quickly changed and climbed into their bed, expecting himself to fall asleep quickly. He should have known better. Sleep had become almost impossible if Calanthe was not in his bed. Eist learned to expect that at this point when he would travel without her, whether on a sailing expedition or to visit Skellige, he would not sleep well until he returned to his wife.

Eist was not sure how much time had passed as he tossed and turned before Calanthe opened their bedchamber door and quietly shut it behind her.

“You were more than a minute.” Eist said as he rolled on his back to look at her.

The fire in their room was burning low, making it so he could barely see her as she walked around to his side of the bed. He smiled when she leaned down and kissed him softly, taking his face in her hands as she did. She stepped away then, undressing as she went. She was almost in bed before she quickly walked towards the privy chamber. Eist sat up then, wondering if she was about to be sick again. Instead of hearing her become sick, Eist soon began to hear soft cries coming from the privy chamber. He climbed out of bed then, the feeling of exhaustion being pushed away as worry consumed him.

When he entered, he saw Calanthe tossing a rag into the fire. He watched in silence as she crossed the room, not noticing he was there, to pick up a blanket. When she turned, she did not react to his unexpected presence, instead she only bore a blank expression on her face.

When their eyes met, she sighed deeply before responding, “I started my cycle again.”

Eist sighed himself and nodded as he walked to her. Another month gone by without the promise of a child.

“We will keep trying.” He whispered when he crossed the room to her.

“You say that every month.”

“Well, you have to admit we are very good at trying.”

Eist was pleased when she chuckled as a small smile crossed her face for a moment.

“Except this time I thought maybe…”

“You did?” Eist asked, feeling like a fool for not realizing.

“It was over a month since I last bled.”

Eist nodded into her then as he pulled her into his arms. He did not know what to say to ease her pain, so he held her quietly instead.

“Let’s go to bed.” Calanthe said sadly after a few minutes.

Eist gently took the blanket from her and put his arm around her waist as they walked back to their bed. He unfolded the blanket and laid it over their bed to protect it while she bled. He still remembered the first time she got her cycle after they had wed. Eist was confused when Calanthe walked from their privy chamber holding a blanket, saying she would sleep in the other bedchamber in their quarters. Eist all but sprinted from their bed, pushing their door closed before she could walk through it. After she told him she was bleeding, he guided her back to their bed and laid the blanket out on it for her.

“You really don’t want to share a bed with me right now, do you?” She asked as he smoothed the blanket down.

“Why not?” Eist asked as he turned to her.

Calanthe looked confused at his question.

“Because this process is, well… bloody.”

“I’m not bothered by blood, my darling.” Eist responded as he turned and kissed her before walking back to his side of the bed and climbed in.

Eist had no concept of what having a monthly cycle was like, but he quickly learned how much pain it caused his wife. At night he would wet a rag with boiling water. After it cooled just slightly, he would lay it on his wife’s stomach to help ease her pain while he would hold his hand there, trapping the heat in as much as he could. Other times he would rest his hand on her stomach, rubbing just slightly, his palm warming her as he did.

So tonight, Eist did what he always did, boiled some water, heated a rag, and fell asleep with his hand resting on his wife’s aching stomach.

\--

“Finally.” Eist said out loud. He had not meant to say it outside of his own thoughts, but he could not help it. The ambassador form Cidaris was riding away in his stagecoach after a successful visit. Eist glanced over at Calanthe, expecting to see irritation from his remark written on her face. Instead he was pleased that she bore a coy smile.

“Growing impatient, are we?”

“You have no idea.”

Calanthe chuckled as they turned then to go back inside the palace.

“Your handmaidens have been told to stay away unless summoned?” Eist asked.

“Yes, as was your steward I take it?” Calanthe asked back as they began to climb the stairs to the chambers.

“Yes. And Pavetta and Duny are okay?”

“They will be fine. If something urgent happens we will be here after all.”

They reached their door then.

“Move your stations to the end of the hall.” Eist said, motioning to the guards.

Calanthe raised a brow at him as they entered their chambers.

“They don’t need to hear anything.” Eist said as he leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips.

Eist was delighted when as he picked Calanthe up, she quickly pulled up her dress up and wrapped her legs around Eist as he carried her. Her hands were warm against his face as she stroked his jaw and kissed him senselessly. Luckily their bedchamber doors were not fully shut as Eist used his shoulder to open them. He stumbled onto the bed then with Calanthe wrapped in his arms as he turned, falling on is back. He moved his hands down her body quickly, taking advantage of her dress already being pulled up high. He gripped her thighs, gasping himself when Calanthe moaned in between kisses. His fingers began to make their way up her thighs, fingertips barely grazing her bare flesh as he went.

“Eist.” His name was a mix between a moan and a gasp as he traced her center with the tip of his finger.

“Already ready, are we?” Eist whispered. He could feel how wet she was as his finger traced over her, stopping just before he reached her clit.

“It’s your fault.” Calanthe whispered as she continued to kiss him.

Eist couldn’t help but laugh as he broke from her kiss, just for a moment to hold her close to him as he smelled the juniper berry scent coming off her hair. Eist had thought it a good idea to tease his wife during the last stages of negotiations with the Cidarian ambassador. Eist and Calanthe were sitting at the head of the table, Duny and Pavetta on their right side, the ambassador at the opposite end, and Mousesack to their left. Eist had reached down, resting his hand as he usually did on Calanthe’s thigh. However, after a few moments of tracing his fingertips up and down, Eist curved his hand lower and began to flick over her center through her velvet dress. Calanthe jumped at first, causing Eist to pull his hand away and rest it on her thigh again. Calanthe received several odd looks from the other members of the meeting while Eist swore he saw Mousesack roll his eyes.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Calanthe give him a cold glare, which quickly turned to a subtle smirk that only he could see. He knew that was his permission to continue.

“Did you enjoy it?” Eist whispered as he brought himself back to the present as he moved his hands to both of Calanthe’s thighs again, attempting to roll her over.

“Yes.” Calanthe said as she pressed her knees onto the bed, keeping her on top, straddling him.

Eist could feel his eyes widen as he tried to flip her again, but Calanthe held firm, pressing him into the bed as he felt himself twitch in his pants. Her hands were on his chest, tugging at his doublet until it lifted over his head. His linen shirt was next. Calanthe then climbed off of Eist as she took his hand, pulling to get him to sit up.

“Come here.” Her voice was deep and full of lust as Eist was guided to sit on the edge of the bed. Eist’s eyes opened wider as he watched Calanthe lower herself to her knees as she pulled his pants down.

“Already ready, are we?” Calanthe asked as she smirked up at him.

Eist kicked off his boots as Calanthe’s mouth flicked over him.

“Fuck.” Eist grunted out as he reached down, pulling his pants off as Calanthe wrapped her hand around him and flicked her tongue over the tip of him again.

Soon his hands were lost in her hair as her head moved up and down on him. She turned her head to side then, running her tongue underneath him as she went from side to side. Eist could feel himself coming closer to the edge, and then he was fully in her mouth, grazing the back of her throat. Eist jerked his hips compulsively, causing a choking gasp to come from his wife. He pulled his hips back, pulling out of her mouth to stop his inevitable orgasm.

“I wasn’t finished yet.” Calanthe breathed against him as she stared up into his eyes as she took him back in her mouth. The sight alone was enough to make him cum.

Calanthe started rapidly taking him in and out of her mouth then, occasionally taking all of him into her mouth and then quickly letting him go. Eist tried to pull her away as he felt himself on the very edge, but Calanthe took all of him in her mouth again. Eist cried out as he came, shaking hard as his fingers tangled more in her hair. Calanthe reached up, grasping at his arms as she held him in her mouth. He fell back after he emptied himself, gasping as he did so.

“Did you like that?” Calanthe asked seductively as she came into his view as she climbed on top of him, still wearing her dress.

Eist only nodded, unable to speak at the moment. He felt her body lie on top of his. Eist lifted his arm, resting it gently on the small of her back as she placed a kiss underneath his chin and then resting her head on his chest.

“You taste like the sea.” Calanthe said before kissing his chest.

“You swallowed?” Eist breathed out.

“Of course, darling.”

Eist was suddenly aroused, exhausted, and equally irritated with himself. He had not wanted to be finished so early without his wife following him in pleasure. However, she had swallowed him which Eist found incredibly alluring. He forced his eyes open then, determined to bring pleasure to his wife. Eist tried to sit up, but Calanthe’s hand pressed against his chest, keeping him lying down on the bed.

Her hand was around him then, pumping up and down on his softening member. Calanthe kissed him intensely while Eist matched her kisses as he pulled her closer to him. Soon he was hard again and ready for her.

“Your dress is in the way.” Eist groaned out as he quickly pulled her dress over her head. He tried to then flip her on her back for a third time but failed again.

Before Eist could respond, he felt Calanthe’s hand wrap around the base of his penis again, holding him straight into the air as she guided herself down on him. Eist’s head fell back as Calanthe gradually sank onto him, bracing her feet on each side of his hips. She was dripping for him as he felt himself steadily enter her. He held on tight to her thighs as she sank onto him completely, causing him to spasm inside of her. She raised herself then, lifting herself so just the tip of him was inside her, and then plunged back down. Eist cried out with that. Calanthe’s hips were soon rocking back and forth, up and down as Eist was driven to the edge again. Just as her thrusting increased, Eist grabbed a hold of Calanthe’s hips, preventing her from thrusting deeper onto him.

Calanthe groaned as she thrusted her hips hard against Eist’s grip.

“My love, slow down.” Eist whispered softly to her.

Calanthe laughed lightly as she barreled her hips against his hands again. Eist smiled as an idea flashed in his mind. Eist gripped her thighs tighter than he normally would to lift her off of him.

“What are you doing?” Calanthe breathlessly asked.

Eist sat up slightly, his hands curving around her bottom as he began to guide her upward. She tried to slide down on him, but Eist caught her and continued to guide her up.

“Come here.” He whispered as he brought her entrance to his lips. Eist glanced up at Calanthe’s face, it was her turn for her eyes to go wide. Eist kissed up and down her thigh as Calanthe gazed down at him.

“Here,” Eist said as he slid his hands from her bottom to trace down her thighs. “Get on your knees.”

Calanthe complied and as she did, Eist traced his hands upward again, resting on her hips this time to pull her low so she hovered just above his lips. Eist glided his tongue then, flicking over her wet entrance. Calanthe let out a gasp as he felt her hands fall to his shoulders, gripping slightly to keep her balance. Eist guided her another inch lower and flicked his tongue again, this time parting her lips as he did. He guided his tongue inside her, pushing inside as much as he could. Calanthe was soon whimpering above him, softly crying out his name again. He kept pushing his tongue in and out of her, amazed at how sweet she tasted.

Eist pulled his tongue from her then and moved a little higher to find her swollen clit. Calanthe’s hips spasmed when he kissed it, causing him to smile into her.

“I love you.” Eist whispered with his lips grazing her clit as he spoke the words, causing Calanthe to cry out.

He sucked her clit into his mouth then, relishing in the cries that began to escape Calanthe. Her hips jerked then as he alternated between gentle and rough sucking. Eist suddenly stopped then, pulling away from her just enough to breath hot air onto her clit. Calanthe screamed as Eist quickly sucked her clit back into his mouth, flicking his tongue over her and sucking rapidly at the same time.

Eist gripped her bottom roughly as Calanthe lost control and fell into him, rocking herself against Eist’s face as she spasmed and cried out. Eist flicked his tongue over and over her clit as she came, causing her to scream and jerk her hips as her juices began to drip from her. When it was over, Eist could feel Calanthe gripping his shoulders as she struggled to keep herself sitting upward as he gladly lapped her juices up. He kissed her clit one final time, causing him to chuckle as Calanthe’s hips lurched forward as she cried out.

His hands traced from her bottom and back down to her thighs again, gripping softly as he pushed her down him. Eist sat up as Calanthe lowered herself to hover above his lap where his penis was flat against his stomach and twitching. Eist wanted Calanthe so badly he could scream as tried to guide her back onto him, but she stopped him once again.

“Calanthe, please.” Eist was practically begging when Calanthe’s hands rested on his chest and pushed him to lay flat on the bed again.

She climbed down then and lowered herself to him, flicking her tongue at the base of him and tracing it slowly up to his tip. Eist felt himself spasm when she kissed the underside of his sensitive head before placing her feet on either side of Eist’s hips again, grabbing him in her hand, and sliding back down on him. This time Calanthe did not take her time to take him into her, instead Eist found himself buried inside her fully with one thrust, causing him to scream and sit upward, grabbing her hips as a flash of pleasure shot through him. Eist fell backwards as she began to ride him. He closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again just as quickly. He gazed up at Calanthe, who smiled sweetly down at him before her face began to contort as cries of pleasure fell from her lips. Eist’s eyes trailed down her body. He reached out, caressing her breast in his hand as if rose and fell in front of him, gently flicking his fingers over a hard nipple as he did so.

His gaze dropped lower then to find Calanthe flicking her fingers over her clit. Eist groaned for a moment, enjoying the sight until he gently pushed her fingers away from her.

“Let me do that, my love.” Eist breathed out as he placed his thumb over her clit and began to caress it.

Calanthe gasped above him as her hips jerked into his caresses.

She picked up her speed then, thrusting faster and faster. Eist looked down and saw her wetness soaking his penis as she thrusted up and down. He moaned as he could begin to hear wet sounds coming from her with each thrust. Eist smiled when Calanthe’s hand fell over the hand that gripped her thigh and pulled it away to lace her fingers with his. She pressed his hand backwards, so the back of his hand rested on the bed with hers pressed above his as she lowered herself to be laying over him.

His name was on her lips again as her thrusts increased speed. He sped up his flicks on her clit, quickly matching the speed of her thrusts as the wet sound increased. Eist groaned then, using all ounce of control that he had to not finish inside of his wife yet.

Just as he pushed the urge away, Calanthe shouted his name as she wildly thrusted herself on him. He reluctantly let go of her hand and pulled away from her clit to brace her hips so he could pull out of her when she lifted herself off of him. She squirted on him as she came, screaming. Eist’s hand was against her in a flash as he cupped his hand against her, allowing her to ride out her orgasm against his palm, giving his throbbing penis a much-needed rest for a moment.

She collapsed against him when she was finished, shaking hard against him. Eist kissed her shoulder and trailed kisses to her collar bone, then up the center of her throat, trailing up her jaw and ending at her lips. He grazed her back with his hand which had become slick with sweat. Eist felt her reach down in between them then and grasp his penis once again in her hand.

“I can’t last much longer.” He breathed out.

Calanthe rested her forehead against his as he closed his eyes when she kissed him. He felt himself at her wet entrance then. She teased just the tip of him for a few moments and then thrusted hard against him suddenly, causing both of them to cry out when he pressed deep into her. After a few quick thrusts, Calanthe collapsed onto his chest, her head resting against his shoulder.

“I can’t.” she breathed out, so softly he almost didn’t hear.

Eist quickly pulled her off of him, the feeling of him being pressed deep inside her becoming too much.

His arms were around her as he sat up slightly, kissing her cheek and lips over and over as he held her. “Are you okay?” He whispered softly in her ear between kisses.

He felt her nod against him. “Yes. I’m just… worn out...” She breathed before kissing his cheek in return.

Eist smiled as he kissed her on the lips before lying on his back as he gripped her thighs tightly and raised her hips in the air slightly.

“Can you hold yourself there?” Eist asked softly.

“Yes.” Calanthe whispered. Eist noticed her legs soon begin to shake as she held herself. She was weak already.

Eist guided himself back into her. He almost came as her hot wetness engulfed him and pulled him into her further. Eist grabbed her hip then as his other found her clit. He began to thrust upward rapidly then, lifting his hips off the bed over and over. Calanthe was soon crying out as he picked up his speed, pounding as hard as he could. After a few moments, Calanthe fell again, causing Eist to scream when he was suddenly thrust into her fully until Calanthe raised herself on one knee. Eist kept his hand on her hip, holding the other side of her up while he continued to flick her clit rapidly as he pounded in and out of her.

“Come with me.” Eist whispered.

Almost on command, he felt Calanthe spasm as she came screaming, using the surges of her orgasm to meet his thrusts. Eist came too, cursing as he filled her. His thrusts slowed as he emptied himself while Calanthe collapsed onto his sweat covered chest.

After a few moments to catch his breath, Eist wrapped his arms tightly around Calanthe. Eist settled himself against the pillows as Calanthe nestled herself onto his chest, pressing her face into the spot where his neck met his collarbone. He leaned down then, kissing her on the forehead as he began to trace her back and arms with his fingertips.

“I think I prefer you on top.” Eist quipped as he felt Calanthe’s arm settle across his waist and the other begin to caress his hair.

He smiled when he felt Calanthe chuckle against his neck. “I rather enjoyed that myself.”

“Come here.” Eist breathed out as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up higher on him, so her face was beside his. He moved his hands to her back and arms again as he caressed her, lulling her to sleep. “I love you.” Eist whispered as he began to place soft kisses on her lips and cheeks, covering her in kisses.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered as her eyes fluttered closed.

With that, Calanthe was asleep in Eist’s arms. He smiled as he gazed at her while she slept. They had been married five years, and in times like these Eist could still not believe she was his wife. He soon followed her into a blissful sleep.

\--

“I guess you lived up to your promise, my darling.” Calanthe breathed out as she picked up Eist’s hand that was wrapped around her own, guiding it to her lips and kissing it.

“Hmm?” Eist asked as he blinked his eyes, attempting to focus on the chandelier above his head.

“You said you planned on doing more than just seducing me.” Calanthe said as climbed on top of Eist, her face suddenly coming into his view.

Eist could not help the smile that appeared across his face as Calanthe smiled widely back at him. She leaned down then and placed a single kiss to his lips. After a few moments, Eist rolled her onto her back on the floor and was soon taking her again.

\--

“What time is it?” Eist asked out loud when he woke after the third time they had made love that morning.

Eist turned his head, looking over at one of the window covers in their sitting room. The sun was bright as in peaked through the edges of the cover. Eist went to sit up but decided against it. Calanthe was still asleep against him, breathing softly and steadily against his chest. Eist instead slowly worked his way out from underneath her, careful not to wake her.

Once he out from under her, he picked her up gently and carried her back to their bed, lying her against the pile of pillows. She stirred then so Eist bent down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

“Go back to sleep, my love.” Eist whispered softly to her as he gently stroked her cheek with his finger. Calanthe’s eyes fluttered for a moment, and then she fell back into a deep sleep.

Eist smiled for a moment and then stretched. His back was sore from sleeping on the floor. He tried to remember why they were in their sitting room in the first place, and then he remembered Calanthe had woken early after they finished with each other for the first time during the early hours of the morning, declaring she was hungry. Eist dressed and went to have food brought up to them, but before he made it out of their chambers, Calanthe pulled him from the doorway and pushed him to the ground. Eist smiled as he walked back to the sitting room to find the shirt and pants Calanthe had ripped off of him a few hours before.

After putting his clothes back on, he slipped on a pair of shoes, glancing over at the small dining table in their room. The vase that normally sat in the center of it was shattered on the floor. Eist chuckled. He had picked Calanthe up and laid her back on the table, climbing on top of her as he did so. Neither one of them paid any attention to the vase until Eist thrusted so hard it fell to the floor with a crash, causing both of them to jump and then quickly burst into fits of laughter.

Eist quickly made his way out of their chamber then, heading down to the kitchens.

“Your Majesty!” Mousesack exclaimed as Eist turned a corner near the banquet hall, almost plowing into him.

“Sorry Mousesack, I did not see you!” Eist said as he stepped backwards. Eist then noticed the strange look he was receiving.

“What?” Eist said, looking at the druid.

“Your Majesty, have you looked into a looking glass this morning?”

“No.” Eist said, suddenly wondering what he looked like to prompt that question from Mousesack.

Mousesack practically pushed him into a room nearby and shut the door.

“Look!” Mousesack said, pointing over Eist’s shoulder at a looking glass mounted on the wall.

Eist crossed the room quickly. Besides the smirk he wore on his face that most certainly gave away that he was having a good morning, his hair was sticking up in all directions, and his face was covered in Calanthe’s lip prints. He burst out laughing then. He had forgotten that Calanthe had been wearing lipstick the previous day and apparently his wife did not think it important to inform him that he was clearly covered in her kisses.

“Your Majesty…” Mousesack began.

“Yes?” Eist asked as he finished laughing, turning to Mousesack as he did.

“Please tell me you were with the Queen?”

Eist stopped laughing then.

“Of course I was with the Queen!” Eist said bluntly. “Who else would I have been with?”

“You know how rumors start, your Majesty.”

Eist nodded then. He was irritated with the question but understood why it was asked. It would do no good to have a rumor spread that he had spent the night with another woman. He wasn’t worried about Calanthe believing the rumors because she would know that they were not true, he was worried for the poor sod who would spread them out of fear that his wife would behead them.

“Can you have breakfast sent up to the Queen and I?” Eist asked.

Mousesack nodded. “Yes, I think that is for the best. Anything in particular?”

“No, anything is fine.” Eist said and then turned to leave. As he reached the door and went to open it, he turned back. “Thank you, Mousesack. You are always looking out for us.”

“Well somebody has to.” Mousesack quipped back as he walked to Eist, clasping him on his shoulder.

Eist chuckled lightly and then made his way back to his chambers.

Calanthe was still fast asleep when he entered their chambers and quickly walked to the window in the bedchamber and opened the window cover. He went to her then and gazed down at her and noticed for the first time that morning in proper lighting to see that she had faint traces of lipstick smudged around the edges of her lips. Eist smiled and be bent down to kiss her, intent on waking her this time. After a few kisses, Calanthe moaned slightly into his mouth as she began to wake. When Calanthe finally opened her eyes, she began to chuckle.

“What?” Eist asked as he smirked at her. He knew damn well what was so funny.

“Who have you been kissing, Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe asked as she lifted her hand to his cheek and ran a finger gently across a spot where several lip prints had been placed.

“I have been kissing the most beautiful woman on the Continent.” Eist whispered as he bent down to kiss her again.

“Good answer.” Calanthe quipped back just as Eist captured her mouth with his.

\--

The next few days were exactly what Eist had wished for. Eist and Calanthe were left alone as Pavetta and Duny ran their kingdom. Eist and Calanthe spent most of their time in their chambers, only leaving a few times to walk in the gardens, take horseback rides down to the beach, and once to spar with swords in the training yard.

Eist had to spend several tense minutes arguing with Calanthe over the fact that he refused to use anything besides a wooden sword when he sparred with her. Finally, she allowed it, wanting to settle a wager they had made earlier. Whoever won got to tie the other’s hands to the bedpost that night. Eist one their duel a little too easily, and he quickly began to suspect that Calanthe had wanted to be the one that got tied up all along.

They had a hard time keeping their hands off each other, so while they spent time in their rooms, they only dressed to receive food at their door. Calanthe had given a servant quite the shock when at one point, she pulled on Eist’s linen shirt to cover her before she answered the door. After she accepted their midday meal, she turned to Eist, who wanted to tackle her to the ground right then and there. She looked beautiful standing there in Eist’s linen shirt, which was far too big for her and went down to cover all but the very edge of her buttocks where it curved so beautifully.

“That shirt is yours now.” Eist whispered after he stood and crossed the room and kissed her.

“Why?” Calanthe asked as she pulled away from him, looking at him questionably.

“Because it looks much better on you than it does on me.” Eist whispered as he pulled her into him and flicked his tongue over her lower lip.

Otherwise, they were naked. Naked and always touching, regardless of if they were making love or not. Over the years Eist had taught Calanthe how to play chess, so when they sat today to play it, they held hands as they did. When they played knuckle bones on the floor in front of the fire, they laid so close their shoulders touched, which Eist admitted was bad for playing the game, but great for his mood.

\--

“Thank you.” Eist whispered when they woke the day that their lives returned to normal. The sun was just rising, so no knock came to their door yet. He kissed Calanthe’s forehead, starting at her hairline and gently worked his way till he kissed down her nose and ended at her lips.

“For what?” Calanthe sleepily asked as she smiled into his kisses.

“For the last few days, my love. They were perfect.” Eist whispered between kisses.

Eist heard Calanthe moan softly into him. “They were perfect, weren’t they?” Calanthe quipped back as she began to run her hands through his hair.

“Yes, they were.” Eist said as he stroked the tip of his nose against hers.

“I will make sure we have time like this more often from now on.” Calanthe whispered as Eist began to trail his fingers up and down her arm. “Maybe we can have a few days like this when we travel to Skellige in a month.”

Eist smiled but before he could respond, a knock sounded at their door.

“Your Majesties?” Yuri called.

Eist sighed as he kissed Calanthe lightly on the lips.

“We’re awake, and we will go downstairs for breakfast.” Eist called before returning his lips to his wife’s.

\--

Eist walked hand in hand with Calanthe as they made their way down to the courtyard.

“You will set sail in two weeks?” Eist asked as they turned a corner.

“Yes. As soon as I am finished with the ambassadors from Redania.” Calanthe said as she squeezed his hand.

“Are you sure you don’t want them to stay behind with you? I don’t like the idea of you being alone here.” Eist said when they arrived in the courtyard with Duny, Pavetta, and Ciri already waiting.

“I won’t be alone. I’ll have Mousesack with me.” Calanthe said as she smirked up at Eist.

Eist laughed lightly as he bent down to kiss his wife. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered back when they broke apart.

Eist stepped back then as Pavetta approached to hug her mother.

“We will see you in two weeks’ time, yes?” Pavetta asked as she hugged her Mother.

“Yes sweetheart. I will join you in Skellige soon.”

Duny approached then, holding Ciri in his arms.

“Safe travels Duny.” Calanthe said as she reached out and rested her hand on Ciri’s cheek before leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

“I will see you, little cub, in no time.”

“Grandmama, you are not coming with us?” Ciri asked as tears welled in her eyes.

“Not yet sweet child but I will be there soon enough.”

Ciri began to scream wildly in protest as Duny handed Ciri over to Eist.

“Shh. Come now, Ciri.” Eist said as he held Ciri in his arms with one hand resting on the back of her head as he laid her against his shoulder. “Your Grandmother will be with us soon.”

As Eist made his way to his horse holding Ciri, he felt a chill go up his spine. He turned as Pavetta and Duny walked past him to face Calanthe. She was standing where he left her, smiling softly at him. Eist smiled back to her and turned around, continuing to walk towards his horse. He could not explain or understand the feeling of foreboding that came over him.


	12. Chapter 6B - Calanthe

**Chapter 6B – Calanthe**

**Year – 1255**

“How much grain is currently in storage for the winter months?” Calanthe asked as she stifled a yawn. The sun was shining bright through the windows in her courtroom as she sat on her throne, glancing outside every few minutes.

“There are three hundred bags in the granary as of today, your Majesty.”

Calanthe went to respond but decided against it. Instead she turned to Pavetta, who was seated to her right.

“Is that enough Pavetta? Will three hundred bags of grain be enough to feed every family in Cintra through the winter, and be enough to send grain to Skellige if they need it as well?”

Calanthe watched as Pavetta pondered her response. “The average family in Cintra consists of two adults and three children?”

“Yes.” Calanthe said, smiling slightly, impressed that Pavetta had remembered that fact. She had said it quickly at dinner the previous night, mentioning it in casual conversation to see how much her daughter was truly paying attention.

“If that is the case then no, three hundred bags are not nearly enough. We should have double, if not triple the amount of grain to get us through the winter.”

Calanthe smiled as she turned back to the group of farmers in front of her.

“Double your efforts good sirs, we do not have nearly what we need. Hire more hands to help if you have too, the crown will cover the costs.”

The men bowed deeply in unison before leaving the room.

“Very good.” Calanthe whispered to Pavetta before the next courtier approached.

Calanthe sighed. It was a blacksmith who had been put in charge in outfitting the entire Cintran military in new swords. No doubt he had run out of steel again. Calanthe turned to Duny, asking him to address the problem that the blacksmith presented. She then turned her gaze outside for a moment, wishing she was outside with Eist and Ciri.

Another hour passed and finally Calanthe had seen all the courtiers and citizens that had come to see her. She stood then, as Yuri approached. Calanthe carefully pulled off her spiked gold crown with garnet stones and placed it on the pillow that Yuri carried.

“You both did well today.” Calanthe said as she placed the crown down.

She glanced up at Duny to see him smile when Vissegerd approached.

“Your Majesty.” He greeted, bowing on his knee to Calanthe. He stood then and bowed his head to Duny and Pavetta. “Your highnesses. The knights are getting ready to practice with the new squires. Price Duny, I did not know if you wished to observe them.”

“Of course.” Duny said. Calanthe had recently sanctioned him a Marshal in the Cintran Army, matching Vissegerd’s own rank. “Would you like to accompany me?” Duny asked, holding his hand out for Pavetta.

“Of course.” Pavetta said, smiling widely as she took her husband’s arm. “Wait, I have to get Ciri!” Pavetta exclaimed, letting go of Duny.

“It’s alright. She is with Eist.” Calanthe said.

“The last time she went with Eist she came back looking like a drowned rat from falling in the sea.” Pavetta said as she frowned.

Calanthe chuckled before saying, “I’m sure that won’t happen again, but I will go check on them. Go with your husband, it’s fine.”

Calanthe turned and headed towards the gardens as Duny and Pavetta followed Vissegerd from the courtroom. She frowned when she walked out the garden doors, looking out over the rolling gardens as they spread out before her. Eist and Ciri were nowhere to be found. She smiled to herself then, knowing exactly where they went. Calanthe went back inside and headed to the courtyard. She smiled when she walked through the courtyard doors as Eist carefully climbed off his horse, carefully holding a sleeping Ciri to him.

“I’m glad to see she did not fall in the water this time.”

Eist turned to her then as she walked towards him, a smile appearing on her face as she did. Calanthe kissed Ciri gently on the forehead first before she tilted her head and leaned upward as Eist bent down to meet her for a kiss

“How did you know we were at the docks?” Eist asked her as they made their way back towards the palace.

“Because I know you all too well, my husband.” Calanthe quipped back as she wrapped her hand gently around his arm while they walked. She heard Eist laugh at that.

Before they walked back inside the palace, Calanthe stopped them and asked Eist “Can I take her?” as she caressed his arm.

“Of course, my love.” Eist said as he gently placed Ciri in Calanthe’s arms.

Calanthe wrapped her arms around her, feeling Ciri shift for a moment and then settle into her. Ciri rested her little head on Calanthe’s shoulder as her white blonde curls escaped the braid that they had been woven into. Calanthe rocked Ciri for a moment and smiled. She, Ciri, and Eist then began to make their way inside. Calanthe hugged Ciri tightly as she walked. It was times like these when she still yearned for a child with Eist.

\--

Nausea rolled through Calanthe’s stomach in the early hours of the morning. She had woken suddenly, pulling herself from Eist’s arms as her hands gripped her stomach. After a few seconds passed, she laid herself back down, hoping the spasms that were ripping through her stomach were over. As she laid herself back down in Eist’s arms she felt his hand settle on her back and his cheek against hers. She had woken him too. Calanthe closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep. Another spasm hit her then, causing her to curl into herself.

“Are you alright?” She heard ask sleepily as he began to rub his hand up and down her arm, gently stroking with his thumb as he did.

“I’m so nauseous.” Calanthe breathed out, just as she felt herself begin to gag.

Calanthe jumped off of Eist and sprinted to the privy chamber, barely reaching an empty basin before she vomited. She retched over and over, as she pushed her hands in front of her to prevent her from collapsing on the floor. She felt Eist’s hands then as one pulled her braid back over her shoulder while the other rested against her other shoulder. She then felt him rest his hands rest against the very top of her chest, holding her up so she didn’t have too. She vomited again as he kissed her on top of the head. Then it was over, as quickly as it came.

She was weak now, so Eist helped her stand, putting his arm around her waist to help her rise and guide her back to bed.

“Did you eat something that upset your stomach?” Eist asked as he guided her to sit on the edge of their bed and helped her climb back in and pull the covers over her.

Calanthe recognized this form of nausea. It was brutal and exhausting, and it was not the same as eating something bad. She could not stop the slight smile that crossed her face.

“I don’t know if that’s it, darling.” She said as she felt herself melt into the pillows as she fell asleep.

\--

Eist had told her soon after they married that his favorite way to wake Calanthe in the morning was to kiss her. She was half asleep, still exhausted from her bought of nausea earlier when Eist placed a single, gentle kiss on her lips. Calanthe fluttered her eyes for a moment and then closed them again, almost falling back asleep. She willed herself to stay awake and reached her arm out, searching for Eist. Usually when she woke, she was in his arms. She lazily stretched out her arm but did not find him. She could feel herself tensing and then suddenly her hand grazed him.

She felt Eist climb on top of her and begin to caress her cheek. She leaned into him, relishing in these moments with him.

“Wake up, my love.” Eist whispered to her as he placed another kiss on her lips.

Calanthe forced her eyes open then, looking up at her husband staring adoringly at her. She smiled softly as she gazed into his ocean blue eyes. “Good morning.” Calanthe whispered as Eist bent down and kissed her again.

“Good morning to you too.” Eist whispered back as he rested his forehead against hers. “Are you feeling any better?”

“I am.” Calanthe responded through a yawn.

Calanthe closed her eyes then, focusing on the feeling of her husband pressed closely to her, holding her. She wanted to stay like this forever.

“Your Majesties?” Yuri called after she knocked on their bedroom door. Calanthe frowned as she was ripped out of her blissful state.

“Apparently we are taking too long to wake.” Calanthe whispered up at Eist as he kissed the side of her mouth.

She looked up at him as he nodded and caressed the tip of her nose with his. “Have breakfast brought up.”

Calanthe could hear the annoyance in his tone. He could not stand it when their time in the morning was interrupted.

“Of course, your Majesty.” Yuri responded.

Calanthe and Eist dismissed both their servants for the morning after their breakfast was brought to them. Calanthe had begun to gather various letters she had been needing to read as Eist put their food on the table. She picked up a letter from the Nilfgaardian Usurper King and began to skim it. She heard Eist speak but was admittedly not paying close attention when he did.

“Hmm?” Calanthe asked as she took a bite of toast.

“Calanthe.” The tone in his voice pulled her from her letter as she lifted her gaze to him.

“Do you have any free time over the next few weeks?” Eist asked.

Calanthe sat back, thinking for a moment. “The ambassador from Cidaris will be here for three days. After he leaves there will be no visitors or banquets until the Nilfgaardian ambassador arrives in another two weeks.”

“Good.” Eist said. Calanthe could see him relax and a glint appear in his eye as he was clearly pleased. “Keep your calendar clear.”

“And why is that?” Calanthe asked, eyeing Eist with suspicion as to what he could be planning.

“Because I would like to spend some alone time with my wife.”

Calanthe raised her brow as she playfully said, “Oh really?”

“Yes. I want just a few days of no meetings, ambassadors, dignitaries or military leaders. And I don’t want anyone knocking on our damn door either.”

Calanthe laughed softly. “And where are we going to have this alone time at? Are we going to Skellige sooner than expected?”

“No, it would take too long to arrange. No, we can have it here. And if anyone disturbs us, I’ll have their head.”

Calanthe smiled. “And how are we going to fill our time, my dear husband?” She asked as she wore a smirk on her face.

“Let’s just say I would prefer it if we partake in certain activities that do not require any clothing.” Calanthe smiled widely when Eist winked at her.

“Do you plan on seducing me, Eist Tuirseach?”

“Oh, I plan on doing much more than that, my love.”

\--

After they finished their breakfast while Eist went to fill the tub, Calanthe went to her desk and pulled out her journal that she had used to track her cycle. She flipped through the pages until she found the last two months records. She had not bled in over a month. Calanthe smiled to herself. She was right, she did not eat anything that made her sick after all.

Calanthe closed the journal with a snap when Eist called for her now that their bath was ready, smiling to herself. She would wait to tell him, at least just a little longer. She would not subject him to getting his hopes up for no reason.

\--

The visit with the Cidaris ambassador was in a few days’ time, causing Calanthe too stay up much later than usual as she poured over reports about the trade dispute they were having. She was not one to reference reports and memos during meetings, instead she prided herself on being able to memorize the details of the matters at hand and speak to them without referencing anything to do so. The twelfth bell rang out, signaling midnight as she ran her hands through her hair, which Eist had washed a few hours ago and left loose to dry. Calanthe could feel Eist pacing around their sitting room, attempting to find something to busy himself with while she read.

“You should look over these reports too.” Calanthe said when she felt Eist put his hands on her shoulders, attempting to entice her into going to bed.

“I will when I am not completely exhausted.” She heard Eist say through a yawn.

Calanthe reached up, wrapping her hand around his at her shoulder. “I’ll come to bed in a minute.”

“Alright.” Eist said as he let go of her. She felt bad for a moment, he did not sound pleased, but there was work to be done. She glanced over her shoulder as he quietly shut their bedchamber door. Calanthe turned then, looking back at the report in front of her. She opened her eyes wide and blinked repeatedly as she stifled a yawn and then refocused on the report.

When Calanthe heard the bell gently toll at the first hour of the day, she lifted herself off her hand that she had propped her cheek against. She stood then, setting the report down, admitting to herself that she was much too tired to absorb anything. She quietly entered their bedchamber then, ready to join her husband for bed.

“You were more than a minute.” She heard Eist say softly from their bed. He did not sound angry or annoyed. He sounded exhausted, like all he wanted to do was sleep but couldn’t.

She walked to his side of the bed then and leaned down, kissing him softly as she took his face in her hands for a moment. Calanthe pulled away then to undress so she could join him in bed. As she pulled her dress over her head, she felt a familiar cramping in her stomach hit suddenly. She walked to the privy chamber quickly, afraid of what she was about to find.

When inside, she grabbed a rag and wiped herself to find what she was afraid of. Blood. The tears came before she realized she was crying. She had been wrong; she was not carrying a child. More tears rolled down her cheeks as she tossed the rag into the fire and then turned to gather a blanket for her to sleep on from the corner of the room.

When she turned, Eist was standing in the doorway, staring at her as worry flashed across his face. He must have heard her crying.

Calanthe sighed. “I started my cycle again.”

She watched as Eist sighed himself and crossed the room to her. “We will keep trying.”

“You say that every month.”

“Well, you have to admit we are very good at trying.”

Calanthe chuckled at that as a small smile crossed her face for a moment.

“Except this time, I thought maybe…” She could not finish her thought. Saying it out loud only made it more real.

“You did?” Eist asked. She could hear the shock in his voice, even though he only spoke in a whisper.

“It was over a month since I last bled.”

Eist’s arms were around her then, pulling her into him as he held her silently.

“Let’s go to bed.” Calanthe finally said after a few minutes.

Eist gently took the blanket from her as he guided her back to their bed and laid the blanket down and smoothed the fabric out. Calanthe could feel her stomach begin to bloat as she cramped, instinctively holding her stomach as a shockwave of pain ran through her. She was amazed when she cycled after their marriage. Calanthe had gone to the privy chamber to grab a blanket just as she did this night, but instead had went to sleep in the other bedchamber in their quarters. Eist had told her he was not bothered by it though. Instead of being pushed to sleep by herself in another room, Eist heated a wet rag for her and held it against her stomach. The relief it brought her was wonderful and allowed her to fall asleep before the pain started again. When she woke the next morning, the wet rag was gone, but his hand was warm against her stomach as he gently rubbed circles against it.

This night after she laid down in bed, Eist did what he always did. Regardless of how tired he was, he heated a rag and draped it over her stomach. She fell asleep with a warm rag against her and Eist’s hand gently resting on top.

\--

“Finally.” Eist said.

Calanthe smirked as they stood in the courtyard, watching the Cidaris ambassador ride away in his stagecoach. She knew all too well why Eist had become increasingly impatient throughout their day.

“Growing impatient, are we?” She asked playfully as the stagecoach disappeared from their sight.

“You have no idea.”

Calanthe chuckled as they turned then to go back inside the palace.

“Your handmaidens have been told to stay away unless summoned?” Eist asked.

“Yes, as was your steward I take it?” Calanthe asked back as they began to climb the stairs to their chambers.

“Yes. And Pavetta and Duny are okay?”

“They will be fine. If something urgent happens we will be here after all.”

Soon they were at the door to their chambers. “Move your stations to the end of the hall.” Eist said, motioning to the guards.

Calanthe raised her brow at Eist as they entered their chambers.

“They don’t need to hear anything.” Eist said he leaned down to her, kissing her softly on the lips.

Suddenly Eist’s hands were around Calanthe, picking her up as he began to carry her towards their bedchamber. She hoisted up her velvet dress to wrap her legs around him as he carried her. She took his face in his hands, kissing him passionately as he guided them to their bed and fell backwards so she was on top of him.

His hands were gripping her thighs before she knew what was happening. She moaned into him, relishing as he gripped her roughly. He gasped in between kisses as his fingers began to trace up her thighs, caressing her warm flesh as his fingers traveled towards her center.

“Eist.” She could barely breath his name out as his finger traced her center.

“Already ready, are we?” Eist whispered. Calanthe’s breath caught in her throat as she felt his finger stroke her lips, which were already wet for him. She almost screamed when he pulled his finger away just before caressing her clit.

“It’s your fault.” Calanthe whispered as she continued to kiss him.

Eist broke their kiss then and laughed as he held her close to him for a moment and buried himself in her hair. During the last stages of the negotiations with the Cidarian ambassador, Eist placed his hand on Calanthe’s thigh. She thought nothing of it at first. Over the years, Eist was constantly reaching for her, whether it was at a meal, or in the middle of heated negotiations or a meeting. And he always seemed to enjoy teasing her more if the situation was entirely wrong for it. Calanthe had stiffened slightly when he began to trace his fingers up and down the inside of her things, however it was when he began to flick over her center through her velvet dress that she jumped, earning a few odd looks from the other people involved in the negotiations.

Calanthe turned to Eist then, giving him a cold glare for all to see, but smirking out of the corner of her mouth that was only visible to him, giving him permission to continue.

“Did you enjoy it?” Eist asked as he gripped her thighs again and attempted to roll her to her back.

“Yes.” Calanthe said as she pressed her knees into the bed, keeping her on top, straddling him.

Calanthe smirked as she saw Eist’s eyes widen. Most nights he was in control in their bedchamber. They had an unspoken rule that they followed; she ruled their kingdoms. She was in charge in the presence of others. He was in charge when they were alone, when they were in bed. But tonight, Calanthe wanted something different. She wanted to be in control. The first time she mounted Eist herself soon after they had wed, he lasted only a minute, exclaiming that her riding him was the best thing he had experienced. Just as in their public life, Eist was glad to relinquish his unspoken authority to his wife, even in the bedroom.

Calanthe smiled as she shifted herself slightly on top of him, feeling how ready he was for her through his pants. She reached down and tugged off his doublet and shirt, only to climb off of him and guide him to sit at the edge of their bed. She lowered herself to her knees then as she untied his pants and pulled them down.

“Already ready, are we? Calanthe asked as he sprang into few after being released from the constrictive fabric.

She leaned over then, flicking her tongue over the tip of him, only to be greeted by Eist grunting “Fuck.” She wrapped her hand around the base of him then and flicked her tongue over his tip again.

Eist’s hands were in her hair then as she moved her head up and down and from side to side. She took all of him in her mouth, feeling him against the back of her throat as she choked on him. Eist jerked hips, causing her to gasp as she choked harder. He pulled out of her then, jerking his hips away from her mouth.

“I wasn’t finished yet.” Calanthe breathed against him, staring up into his eyes as she took him back in her mouth. Eist’s eyes looked as though they were on fire as he stared down at her.

She took him back in her mouth again, alternating between moving her head up and down rapidly to slowly taking all of him in her mouth, leaving him to rest inside of her for a few moments before she would begin to gag. She could feel him begin to twitch in her mouth as his hands gripped her hair tighter. She took all of him into her again, only this time Eist cried out as he began to cum. He was shaking, his fingers tangling in her hair as she reached up and held her hands around his arms as his hands continued to tangle themselves further into her. She sucked him in and out of her as he came in her mouth, swallowing as he did. When he was finished, he let go of her hair as she felt him fall backwards onto the bed.

“Did you like that?” Calanthe asked him as she climbed on top of him, suddenly all too aware of the dress she was wearing and how much she wanted it off of her.

Eist nodded to her as she laid on top of him while he caught his breath. She felt his hand rest against her back as she leaned up and kissed underneath his chin before resting her head on his chest.

“You taste like the sea.” Calanthe said before she placed a soft kiss on his chest.

“You swallowed?” Eist breathed out.

“Of course, darling.” Calanthe whispered. She swallowed him every time he finished in her mouth, and every time he was amazed that she did.

Suddenly she felt Eist begin to try to sit up, so Calanthe raised herself and pressed her hand to his chest, keeping him on his back. She reached around then, taking her husband’s softening member into her hand as she began to pump up and down. She kissed him then, their tongues dancing passionately as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. In moments, he ready for her again.

“Your dress is in the way.” Eist groaned as he quickly pulled her dress over her head. She felt his hands on her bottom this time, trying to flip her to her back, but once again he failed.

Calanthe quickly wrapped her hand around his now very erect penis, holding him straight into the air as she sat up and guided herself down on him. She smiled as Eist’s head fell back into the pillows as she braced her feet on either side of his hips, taking just the tip of him into her first. She lifted herself before sinking back down as Eist’s hands were on her thighs again. She lifted herself again, feeling him slide out of her wet center before pressing down entirely, taking all of him into her. She felt him spasm inside of her before she lifted herself, moaning as she felt him stretch her. She plunged herself down entirely on him with one thrust, causing Eist to cry out. She began to quickly ride him hard as she felt him hitting her spot, bringing her close to the edge.

Eist’s hands were there then, holding her hips in place, preventing her from thrusting too deep onto him.

“My love, slow down.” Eist whispered softly to her.

Calanthe laughed lightly before she groaned as she thrusted again, wanting all of him inside of her. Before she could get all of him inside of her again, Eist was gripping her thighs intently and using his strength to guide her off of him.

“What are you doing?” Calanthe asked breathlessly.

She felt Eist sit up, his hands curving around her bottom as he did to guided her up further. She tried to slide down on him once more, but he caught her and continued to guide her upward.

“Come here.” Eist whispered as he brought her hips directly above him, her entrance hovering a few inches above his lips. Calanthe could feel her eyes widen with anticipation. She was quickly becoming more aroused than she already was and could feel herself becoming even wetter than before. Eist was then kissing up and down her thighs gently. Calanthe let her head fall back as her eyes began to roll in her head.

“Here,” Eist said as he slid his hands from her bottom to trace down her thighs. “Get on your knees.”

Calanthe did, lowering herself to be even closer to his lips. She could feel his breath against her as she hovered there while Eist’s hands ran up her body, resting on her hips. Eist’s tongue flicked over her entrance without warning, causing her to gasp. Calanthe’s hands fell to Eist’s shoulders and gripped tightly to help keep her balance. He used his grip on her hips to pull Calanthe lower. This time when he used his tongue, he flicked it between her lips, pressing it into her as much as he could. Soon Calanthe was whimpering and crying out his name as shoved his tongue in and out of her.

Calanthe could feel herself begin to shudder when Eist finally pulled his tongue from her for the final time, only to move slightly higher to kiss her swollen clit. Calanthe spasmed against his mouth at the touch of his wet kiss.

He whispered, “I love you.” against her as he spoke the words, grazing her clit with his lips as he spoke.

Eist sucked her clit into his mouth then, causing Calanthe to begin to jerk her hips and cry out as pleasure took over her. He stopped his mix of gentle and rough sucking for a moment to pull back and breath hot air onto her clit. Calanthe screamed then as Eist sucked her clit back into his mouth, this time flicking his tongue over as he sucked.

Calanthe’s orgasm hit then, causing her to fall onto him as she rocked her center against Eist’s mouth. She spasmed hard as she cried out, the feeling of Eist continuing to flick his tongue over her driving her wild. She felt her juices begin to flow for a moment as she jerked her hips, riding out her orgasm from Eist’s continues flicks of his tongue. When it was over, Eist lapped her juices up while Calanthe struggled to continue to hold herself up. Calanthe then felt Eist place another kiss directly on her clit, causing Eist to chuckle as Calanthe’s hips lurched forward as she cried out.

His hands ran down to her thighs again, gripping her as he pushed her down on him. Eist sat up as she lowered herself to hover above his lap, his hard and twitching member below her. Eist was guiding her hips then, attempting to lower her onto him, but once again Calanthe stopped him.

“Calanthe, please.”

Eist sounded as though he would scream if he did not have her soon. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him onto his back again.

Calanthe climbed down and lowered herself to him. She flicked her tongue at the base of him and began to slowly lick up to his tip. After her tongue flicked away, she kissed the underside of him, causing him to twitch away from her. He was purple, red, and all but bursting as the tip of him began to drip. Calanthe quickly climbed back to where she was, with her feet braced on either side of Eist as she guided him back into her. She took no time to ease him into her. This time she sank onto him immediately, causing him to roughly grab her hips and lurch upward. She began to ride him quickly and smiled as Eist fell back, his eyes closed and clearly enjoying it. Eist opened his eyes then and stared into hers. Calanthe traced one of her hands to her center and began to rub herself. She began to gasp as her eyes closed, feeling herself beginning to lose control as she did. Calanthe felt his hand on her breast first, flicking at a hard nipple, causing her to cry out.

“Let me do that, my love.” Eist breathed out. For a moment Calanthe did not know what he was talking about, but then he moved her hand out of the way to replace it with his own fingers against her as his thumb found her clit.

He began to steadily rub her, causing her hips to jerk into his hand as she thrusted onto him, gasping.

She was at the edge and without thinking, she began to thrust faster and faster on him. She was becoming increasingly wet again, she could feel it as he slid in and out of her. Calanthe could hear Eist moaning as she steadily thrusted hard against him. She reached out then, taking his hand that was gripping her thigh and pulled it away, lacing her fingers with his. She pressed his hand backwards, so the back of his hand rested on the bed with hers pressed above his as she lowered herself to be laying over him.

Calanthe increased her speed as Eist sped up his flicks on her clit. She began to say his name, all but chanting it, over and over. Eist grunted then, and with that she fell over the edge.

She screamed his name as she wildly thrust herself onto him, losing any ounce of control to give him rhythmic and steady thrusts. Eist pulled his hand away from hers and away from her clit as he held her hips, lifting her off of him when she pulled back to thrust down on him again. She felt herself squirt hard onto him as she screamed. The surges of pleasure shooting through her were intense enough to make her feel as though she would lose consciousness for a moment. Then Eist’s hand was there, cupping against her as his thumb began to stroke steady circles over her clit. She grabbed his shoulders to hold herself up as she grinded herself on his palm as her orgasm waned.

Calanthe was covered in sweat and shaking hard when it was over, causing her to collapse onto his chest. She felt him kiss her shoulder and trace kissed up her collar bone. Calanthe lifted her head as he traced kisses up the center of her throat, trailed them up her jaw and ended at her lips. She felt him stroke her back as she reached down and grasped his penis in her hand once again.

“I can’t last much longer.” Eist breathed out.

Calanthe rested her forehead against his as she kissed him. She guided him back to her then, teasing just the tip of him inside of her entrance for a moment before taking all of him in again in one quick thrust. The cried out together and the sudden rush of pleasure. Calanthe began to thrust onto him quickly, but soon collapsed onto his chest while her head rested on his shoulder.

“I can’t.” She was so weak she felt as though she could pass out, but she was not ready to give up being on top of him.

Soon Eist’s hands were curved under her bottom, pulling her off of him, leaving her feeling emptier than she would ever admit too.

“Are you okay?” Eist whispered as he sat up and kissed her all over, covering her cheeks and lips with desperate kisses.

Calanthe nodded against him. “Yes. I’m just… worn out...” She breathed before kissing his cheek in return.

Eist laid back down then and gripped her thighs, but this time he made no effort to flip her to her back. Instead he raised her hips in the air slightly and braced his hands against them.

“Can you hold yourself there?” Eist asked softly.

“Yes.” Calanthe whispered as her legs began to shake. She was not sure how long she could hold herself before collapsing.

Eist guided himself back into her again. Calanthe’s mouth began to fall open as Eist let go of one hip while he found her clit, flicking it intently. He was then pounding himself into her, lifting his hips off of the bed with each thrust. Calanthe began to cry out as he pounded harder into her. She collapsed then, no longer able to hold herself up. Eist was suddenly pressed fully inside of her, causing him to scream as he was pushed into her fully. He quickly helped lift her to support herself on one knee while his hand held her other side up.

Calanthe was close, the feeling of her husband taking her this way consumed her, leaving a burning feeling inside of her that needed to be released.

“Come with me.” Eist whispered as he flicked her clit again.

Calanthe came screaming as he spoke the words. Her entire body shook as her eyes rolled in her head, her hips thrusting against his with energy she did not have. Eist cursed then, pounding into her as he came, filling her. Eist’s thrusts began to slow as his own orgasm waned and he emptied himself completely into his wife. Calanthe collapsed onto his sweat covered chest when they were both finished.

Calanthe laid there for a moment listening to Eist’s heart race, and then begin to regulate as he took deep breathes. His arms were around her then, pulling her tight against him. Calanthe nestled herself into his chest and pressed her face into the spot where his neck met his collarbone. He kissed her on the forehead and began to trace her back and arms with his fingertips.

“I think I preferer you on top.”

Calanthe chuckled with that as she rested her arm across his waist and reached her other arm up to caress his hair. “I rather enjoyed that myself.”

“Come here.” Eist breathed out as his arms wrapped around her again and pulled her higher, so her face was beside his. He moved his hands to her back and arms again as he caressed her, lulling her to sleep. “I love you.” Eist whispered as he began to place soft kisses on her lips and cheeks, covering her in kisses.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered as her eyes fluttered closed.

With that, Calanthe was asleep in Eist’s arms.

\--

“I guess you lived up to your promise, my darling.” Calanthe breathed out as she picked up Eist’s hand that was wrapped around her own, guiding it to her lips and kissing it.

“Hmm?” Eist asked as he blinked his eyes, attempting to focus on the chandelier above his head.

“You said you planned on doing more than just seducing me.” Calanthe said as climbed on top of Eist, settling down once they were face to face.

Calanthe could not help the smile that appeared across her face as Eist smiled widely back at her. She leaned down then and placed a single kiss to his lips. After a few moments, Eist rolled her onto her back on the floor and was soon taking her again.

\--

Calanthe could feel herself being picked up in Eist’s arms as she was lifted from the floor. She kept her eyes closed, knowing full well she was safe in his arms. Soon she felt herself being laid down on their bed with her back resting against a pile of pillows. Calanthe stirred slightly as she nestled herself into the bed while Eist kissed her softly.

“Go back to sleep, my love.” Eist whispered.

She could feel his finger slowly graze over her cheek. Her eyes fluttered as she attempted to open them to look at her husband, but sleep took her instead.

\--

Calanthe felt her lips being covered in kisses when she woke. She smiled slightly and moaned into Eist’s mouth as he continued to kiss her. She opened her eyes then to see her husband’s adoring face above her, only to begin to chuckle. Eist’s face was covered in lip prints from the night before. She had forgotten to wipe her lipstick off before they started yesterday.

“What?” Eist asked, smirking at her.

“Who have you been kissing, Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe asked as she lifted her hand to his cheek and ran a finger gently across a spot where several lip prints had been placed.

“I have been kissing the most beautiful woman on the Continent.” Eist whispered as he bent down to kiss her again.

“Good answer.” Calanthe quipped back just as Eist captured her mouth with his.

\--

The next few days were spent in a state of bliss. Calanthe and Eist were left alone as Pavetta and Duny ran their kingdom. Calanthe and Eist spent most of their time in their chambers, only leaving a few times to walk in the gardens, take horseback rides down to the beach, and once to spar with swords in the training yard.

Calanthe had been irritated with Eist when he refused to use anything other than a wooden sword against her. Finally, she allowed it, wanting to settle a wager they had made earlier. Whoever won got to tie the other’s hands to the bedpost that night. For the first time in her life, Calanthe allowed herself to lose. She did not tell Eist that she let him win because she wanted him to tie her up.

They had a hard time keeping their hands off each other, so while they spent time in their rooms, they only dressed to receive food at their door. Calanthe had given a servant quite the shock when at one point, she pulled on Eist’s linen shirt to cover her before she answered the door. After she accepted their midday meal, she turned to Eist, who looked like wanted to tackle her to the ground right then and there.

“That shirt is yours now.” Eist whispered after he stood and crossed the room and kissed her.

“Why?” Calanthe asked as she pulled away from him, looking at him questionably.

“Because it looks much better on you than it does on me.” Eist whispered as he pulled her into him and flicked his tongue over her lower lip.

Otherwise, they were naked. Naked and always touching, regardless of if they were making love or not. Over the years Eist had taught Calanthe how to play chess, so when they sat today to play it, they held hands as they did. When they played knuckle bones on the floor in front of the fire, they laid so close their shoulders touched.

\--

“Thank you.” Eist whispered when they woke the day that their lives returned to normal. The sun was just rising, so no knock came to their door yet. He kissed Calanthe’s forehead, starting at her hairline and gently worked his way till he kissed down her nose and ended at her lips.

“For what?” Calanthe sleepily asked as she smiled into his kisses.

“For the last few days, my love. They were perfect.” Eist whispered between kisses.

Calanthe moaned into Eist as he kissed her. “They were perfect, weren’t they?” Calanthe quipped back as she began to run her hands through his hair.

“Yes, they were.” Eist said as he stroked the tip of his nose against hers.

“I will make sure we have time like this more often from now on.” Calanthe whispered as Eist began to trail his fingers up and down her arm. “Maybe we can have a few days like this when we travel to Skellige in a month.”

Eist smiled but before he could respond, a knock sounded at their door.

“Your Majesties?” Yuri called.

Eist sighed as he kissed Calanthe lightly on the lips.

“We’re awake, and we will go downstairs for breakfast.” Eist called. Then his lips were back against hers, kissing her softly.

\--

Calanthe walked hand in hand with Eist as they made their way down to the courtyard.

“You will set sail in two weeks?” Eist asked as they turned a corner.

“Yes. As soon as I am finished with the ambassadors from Redania.” Calanthe said as she squeezed his hand.

“Are you sure you don’t want them to stay behind with you? I don’t like the idea of you being alone here.” Eist said when they arrived in the courtyard with Duny, Pavetta, and Ciri already waiting.

“I won’t be alone. I’ll have Mousesack with me.” Calanthe said as she smirked up at Eist.

Calanthe looked up into Eist’s ocean blue eyes as chuckled before he leaned down to kiss her. “I love you.” He whispered just before he kissed her.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered back when their lips parted.

Eist stepped back then as Pavetta approached to hug her Calanthe.

“We will see you in two weeks’ time, yes?” Pavetta asked as she hugged her Mother.

“Yes sweetheart. I will join you in Skellige soon.”

Duny approached then, holding Ciri in his arms.

“Safe travels Duny.” Calanthe said as she reached out and rested her hand on Ciri’s cheek before leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

“I will see you, little cub, in no time.”

“Grandmama you are not coming with us?” Ciri asked as tears welled in her eyes.

“Not yet sweet child but I will be there soon enough.”

Ciri began to scream wildly in protest as Duny handed Ciri over to Eist.

“Shh. Come now, Ciri.” Eist said as he held Ciri in his arms with one hand resting on the back of her head as he laid her against his shoulder. “Your Grandmother will be with us soon.”

Calanthe watched sadly as her family walked away. She would join them in Skellige soon, but she hated to be away from them for any length of time. Ciri continued to yell as Eist carried her away. Ciri looked at Calanthe over Eist’s shoulder and reached her little hand out towards her. Calanthe felt her eyes fill with tears but quickly blinked them away. Eist turned back to her, causing as soft smile to appear on her face again. He smiled at her for a moment and then turned back around to head towards his horse. Calanthe felt a chill run through her spine as he turned and walked away.


	13. Chapter 7A - Eist

**Chapter 7A – Eist**

**Year – 1255**

The waters were calm as Eist, Pavetta, Duny, and Ciri sailed to Skellige. Ciri continued to fuss the whole way down to the harbor, upset that her Grandmother was not with her. “Ciri, shh.” Eist whispered as her head rested against his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his neck. He was on horseback now, so he held her in one arm and the reigns in another. “Your Grandmother will be with us soon; I promise little pup.” No matter what Eist said, nothing seemed to make Ciri feel better. Her screaming eventually turned to sobs, which turned to silent tears dripping down her little cheeks. “Your Uncle Crach will be there.” Eist said, trying to think of anything to calm her. “And you will be able to swim, and ice skate, and see the dolphins.”

“Swim?” Ciri said.

“Yes.” Eist said. Winter was setting in, but there were several hot springs on the island that Ciri could swim in during the cold winter months. “How does that sound?”

“Good.” Ciri said quietly as she reached her hand around and wiped her cheek.

“Will Grandmama swim with us?” Ciri asked as she turned her head to rest it against Eist’s shoulder.

“Yes, she will.” Eist chuckled.

_During their second visit to Skellige, Eist had taken Calanthe down to the beach on a hot summer’s day. He took her hand and guided her to the edge of the water, hurriedly walking in. Once the water went past her knees, Calanthe froze. Eist remembered looking back at her, standing stiffly in the water, refusing to move._

_“What’s wrong?” Eist asked as he tugged on her hand._

_“I don’t want to go in the water.” Calanthe said quietly._

_Eist frowned. “Is it too cold?” He asked. While the sun was searing hot, the waters were cool._

_“No.” Calanthe said as she took a step back._

_Eist watched her as she did, noticing the fear in her eyes for the first time._

_“You don’t know how to swim, do you?” Eist asked as he tilted his head to the side slightly._

_Eist smirked as Calanthe raised her head high and glared at him._

_“Well, do you want to learn?” Eist asked as he turned, facing the water and walked till he was waist deep. After a few moments, Eist turned back to Calanthe. He could see her hesitation, her wanting to join him in the water, and her wanting to run back to her horse at the same time. He was pleased when she chose to join him._

_“You had better not let me bloody drown, Eist Tuirseach.” She said defiantly as she carefully made her way towards him._

_Eist smiled and quickly walked to her, meeting her when she was standing once again in knee deep water._

_“Never.” Eist whispered as he pulled her into his arms and captured her lips with his._

_He carefully began walking backwards, pulling Calanthe in his arms as he went. Calanthe was distracted enough at first, that was until she realized that her feet weren’t on the sand anymore and she was only being held above water by Eist’s arms around her._

_Calanthe yelped as she wrapped her arms so tightly around his waist he felt as though she would crack a rib._

_“Eist! I can’t stand!” Calanthe shouted as she pressed her head into Eist’s chest._

_“I know.” Eist said, chuckling as Calanthe moved her arms to wrap around his neck and pulled herself upward to wrap her legs around his waist, her face aligned with his._

_“This isn’t funny!” Calanthe yelled as Eist laughed harder._

_“Do you honestly think I would ever let you drown?” Eist asked as he kissed Calanthe lightly._

_“I’m beginning to wonder that myself.” Calanthe said as Eist took another step deeper into the sea. “You’re going the wrong way!” Calanthe shouted as she smacked the top of his shoulder and pointed her thumb over hers towards the beach._

_“This is the only way you’ll learn, my love.” Eist said as he stopped so the water was just below his shoulders._

_Eist pulled his arms from where they were securely wrapped around her waist, adjusting to holding her at her hips._

_“On the count of three, let go of me and raise your arms to the side and kick your legs. You’ll float.”_

_“No!” Calanthe said._

_Eist laughed as she pushed herself upward, climbing up higher on him so her head was above his._

_“I didn’t think the Lioness was scared of anything.” Eist said playfully._

_“Very funny.”_

_Eist looked up at her, raising his brows._

_“Fine.” Calanthe said. She unwrapped her legs from his waist first, causing her to dip into the water so that just her head was above water as she screamed. Eist caught her then and lifted her back up by the waist._

_“Here.” Eist said as he pulled her closer so she could lean against him. “Let’s try kicking your legs first.”_

_Soon Calanthe was floating in the water with her arms outstretched as she kicked her legs underwater to keep herself afloat. Eist smiled at her as she wore a huge grin on her face. He glided to her through the water as a school of fish swam by, pulling her into his arms when he reached her._

_“You can’t keep your hands off me, can you?” Calanthe asked playfully as she wrapped her arms around Eist’s neck._

_“No, I seem to be incapable of that, my love.” Eist said as Calanthe wrapped her legs around his waist in the water._

_“Good. I hope you never become capable of it, Eist Tuirseach.” Calanthe whispered before she pressed her forehead against Eist’s and kissed him senselessly._

Eist smiled at the memory as Ciri soon fell asleep. Once they were at the harbor, Eist handed the sleeping Ciri to her mother while he went aboard the ship they were to set sail in to make final preparations.

Their journey was seamless as their ship glided over the sea towards Skellige. Ciri had woken soon after they had set sail. She sat in her Mother’s arms as Duny held her hand while they watched a school of dolphin’s swim by. After the dolphins were gone, Ciri stood, kissed her father on the cheek, and then ran to Eist.

Eist was looking out over the sea, enjoying the smell of salt in the air when he felt a tug on his pantleg. Eist turned and looked down to find Ciri holding up her arms. “Up!” she said when Eist turned to her.

Eist smiled and scooped her up, putting her on top of his shoulders. They stayed like that for a few minutes while Ciri patted the top of Eist’s head.

“What is that?” Ciri asked pointing toward the sea after a few minutes.

Eist narrowed his eyes then, looking at the movement Ciri saw in the water. It was quickly heading towards their drakkar at lightning speed.

“Oh shit.” Eist said, quickly pulling Ciri off his shoulders. “Grab your spears, lads!” Eist shouted as he sprinted to Pavetta, handing Ciri over to her.

“What is it?” Pavetta asked as she took Ciri from him.

“A hydra! Get below deck!” Eist shouted as a nearby sailor tossed a spear to him.

Pavetta was then out of sight as she ran towards the stairs, clutching Ciri who was screaming in her arms.

“Sir?” Duny asked as sprinted to Eist, holding the spear that had been handed to him.

“Have you ever fought a hydra?”

“No.” Duny said as his eyes widened.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” Eist said as he turned back towards the sea, just in time to see the hydra rise from the water.

It was massive, at least twenty-foot-long with blue and green scales that helped it conceal itself in the water. Its eyes were huge and black with white fangs that shone brightly in the sun as it opened its mouth. It rose higher then, stretching its long neck out before opening its mouth wider and letting out a terrible screech.

“Aim for the eyes.” Eist said as the hydra rose high enough to block out the sun.

“The eyes! We have to kill that thing by hitting it in the eyes?” Duny shouted.

“Yes! Its scales cannot be penetrated!” Eist shouted back as several sailors began to throw their spears.

The hydra struck then, lashing out in a flash towards the ship. Eist barely jumped out of the way as the hydra snapped its jaws and then pulled back, rearing to strike again. Eist stood and pushed Duny so hard he fell to the ground, falling out of reach of the hydra as it struck again. Eist jumped out of the way sooner this time and plunged his spear into the beast’s eye as it tried to reach for Duny. It pulled back, screaming as it blocked out the sun again for the last time before falling back into the sea.

Eist was leaned over, his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. Duny stood, also out of breath as he walked towards Eist.

“You pushed me.” Duny said as he also leaned over, putting his hand on his hip as he caught his breath.

“Are you kidding me?” Eist asked, looking at Duny.

Before Duny could respond, Pavetta peaked up from the staircase. “Is it safe?” she called.

“Yes.” Eist said faintly as he stood, stretching his back.

Pavetta came up, carrying Ciri and running towards Duny. “Are you alright?” Eist heard her whisper before he himself turned to the scout at the bow of the ship.

“Why is my five-year-old Granddaughter a better scout than you?” The scout hung his head, without saying anything before Eist lashed out again. “That hydra could have killed us!”

“I’m sorry sir.” The scout said, his voice shaking. “It’s my vision sir, I’ve been having a hard time seeing as of late.”

Eist sighed. He knew that some began to have trouble seeing as they aged, Eist was lucky enough to not be one of them. “Get your eyes checked when we get to Kaer Trolde, you hear?” Eist said before turning away from the scout and ordering another sailor to take up the position.

Eist then walked to the side of the ship, just as Ciri escaped her mother’s arms and ran to him, standing on the tips of her toes to try to look over the railing with him.

Eist picked her up, only this time he sat her on the railing with her legs dangling over as he locked his arms securely around her.

“Eist!” Pavetta shouted as she looked up to see Ciri sitting on the railing.

“I’m okay, Mama!” Ciri shouted. Eist smiled to himself as he bent down and kissed Ciri on the top of her head. He would throw himself into the sea before letting her fall in.

“Grab some ropes lads, were towing it back to Skellige!” Eist shouted over his shoulder at the sailors.

As the sailors moved with rope to enter the water to tie the hydra up, Ciri asked “What is it, Grandpapa?”

“That is a hydra, a ferocious sea beast.”

“Is it dead?”

“Yes sweetheart, it’s dead.”

“That’s sad.” Ciri said as she rested her head against Eist as she leaned back.

“Sad? It wanted to eat us as a snack.” Eist said as he chuckled.

\--

“What the hell happened?” Crach asked as Eist descended from the gangplank.

When Eist’s feet touched the wood of the dock, Crach bowed his head before asking, “Is that a hydra that you’re towing?”

“Yes.” Eist said as the various people around him began to bow. He turned then as Pavetta, Duny, and Ciri began to walk from the docks. “It attacked us at sea.” Eist said turning back to Crach.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Crach said.

“I know. I’ve never heard of a sea serpent being found this far south; they usually prefer much colder waters.”

“Uncle Crach!” Ciri screamed as Pavetta set her down. Ciri came running, barreling into Crach as he picked the Princess up.

“Hello there, little one!” Crach said as Ciri hugged him.

Pavetta and Duny approached then, smiling warmly to Crach and exchanging hugs with him.

“Well Uncle, what do you want to do with the beast?” Crach asked.

“I want to see if we can harvest its scales. Mousesack can take a look at it when he gets here with the Ard Rhena. He may know of some use for it as well.”

“When is Modron set to sail?”

“Two weeks.” Eist said, sighing as he did so.

Crach must have noticed the twinge of sadness in Eist’s voice. “Do you think you’ll survive till then?” Crach asked as he lightly jabbed Eist on the shoulder.

“Very funny.” Eist responded smiling as he did so, but his smile faded quickly. He already missed Calanthe.

\--

Eist woke early the next day, dressing as the sun was rising. He had recently taken up sketching and had been struck by a bought of inspiration as he laid in bed the night before, not able to fall asleep without Calanthe in his arms.

He went to the crate that held his armor and pulled out his chest plate, propping it to sit upright on the ground in front of the fire. Calanthe herself had requested the designs that were etched into the armor that she had had made for him. In the elaborate design was a rope for Skellige and a rose for Cintra.

Eist sat for over an hour, sketching out various designs until he settled on his favorite one. Eist folded the sketch in his pocket as he made his way to the banquet hall, happy to see that Pavetta, Duny, and Ciri were already there.

“How did you sleep?” Pavetta asked as Eist approached.

“Okay.” Eist lied as he sat down beside Ciri who smiled up at him when she saw him.

“You’re not a good liar,” Pavetta said sympathetically as she peeled a piece of an orange for Ciri and handed it to her. “You look exhausted.”

Eist didn’t say anything as he ran his hand through his hair and reached for an orange from the bowl at the center of the table.

“You can’t sleep without her, can you?” Crach asked as he sat down beside Duny.

Eist sighed. He was exhausted and in no mood to talk about his lack of sleep or the reason for it.

“Do you have anything planned today?” Eist asked looking at Pavetta and then at Duny.

“No, we were just going to relax. I may head down to the armory for a bit to try my hand at axe throwing, but that’s about it.”

Crach laughed then. “Wait till Modron gets here. The Ard Rhena throws an axe like a true born Skelligan.”

“Can I take Ciri for the day?” Eist asked as Ciri jumped in her seat, her eyes going wide as she looked at her Mother.

“What do you have planned?” Pavetta asked as her eyes narrowed. Eist smiled to himself. Although Pavetta and her Mother did not physically look very much alike, they certainly had the same expressions.

“I was thinking of taking her to the beach. I also want to go to the jeweler that made her necklace.” Eist said, nodding his head towards the swallow pendant Ciri was wearing.

“Beach time? Can I swim?” Ciri asked as she bounced in her seat.

Before Pavetta could respond, Eist did. “No little pup, it is too cold to swim at the beach. We’ll take you to the hot springs later, you can swim there.”

Eist smiled as Ciri pouted for a moment until Eist whispered, “You can help me look for seashells at the beach.”

“Seashells?” Ciri screeched. “Can I go Mama?” Ciri asked, turning her attention back to her mother.

“Alright.” Pavetta said, “But you be good for your Grandfather.”

“I’m always good.” Ciri said, looking up at Eist as he winked at her.

\--

Pavetta had bundled up Ciri more than she needed to as they walked down to the coast. Ciri was wearing her heavy fur lined cloak, mittens, and a fur hat that covered her ears and tied under her neck.

“I’m hot.” Ciri said as they reached the beach.

“I guess you are. Here give me your hands.” Eist said as he pulled off her mittens and put them in his pocket. “If your hands get cold, you tell me, and I’ll give you your mittens back, okay?” Eist said.

“Okay.”

“Alright, now, we are looking for two particular types of seashells. They look like this.” Eist said as he bent down and pulled a nacre and clam that had both been emptied and dried out to show Ciri.

“Why do we want to find them?” Ciri asked as she stared down into his hands.

“Because inside there is treasure.”

“Treasure?” Ciri exclaimed, her eyes growing wide.

“Yes, treasure.”

Eist kept Ciri back from the water to avoid her boots getting wet while he searched at the water’s edge. Ciri was starting a small pile of what she was finding on the dry sand as Eist held the clams and nacre he found in his hand.

After a while, Eist walked from the water and called Ciri to him. “Come on little pup. Let’s see if we have found treasure!”

Eist chuckled as he bent down on his knees, pushing through Ciri’s pile. She had put several rocks in it, thinking they looked enough like nacre to be them. After sorting the two piles into clams and nacre separately, he asked Ciri to pick the first one to open.

“That one!” Ciri said pointing to the largest clam she had found. Eist pried it open using his dagger and was amazed at what was inside. Inside was a pearl, exactly what he was looking for. It was small, pure white, and well suited for what its purpose was.

“You see, Ciri? Treasure.” Eist said as he pulled the pearl from the clam and held it to her to see.

“What is it?” Ciri asked as she looked at it.

“This is a pearl.”

“A pearl?”

“Yes, a pearl. Your Mother and Grandmother sometimes wear them.”

“Can I wear a pearl?” Ciri asked as she looked up from the pearl to meet Eist’s eyes.

Eist smiled, opening his pocket and dropping the pearl inside.

“Let’s find out. Pick another clam to open.” Ciri pointed to another one.

Eist opened it, but no pearl was inside. Ciri scrunched her face together, clearly confused.

“Not all clams have pearls, pup. Pick another one.”

Ciri pointed to another clam, then another, and then another. None of them held pearls. Ciri crossed her arms over her chest and began to tear up when Eist reached for a small clam that he had tossed aside by mistake. When he opened it, he smiled.

“Here, little pup. Here is your pearl.”

Ciri beamed as Eist held out the clam to her, showing her the pearl he had found within. It was smaller than the first but just as white.

“It’s pretty!” Ciri said as she bounced on her toes.

“Yes it is, fit for a Princess.” Eist said as he popped the pearl out and added it to the other one in his pocket.

“What do we do now?” Ciri asked as she put her hands on her hips.

“We open those.” Eist said, nodding towards the nacre. It took less time to open them and find what else Eist was looking for, mother of pearl.

\--

Eist and Ciri headed to the stables when they were done to begin their journey to see Cranton. Their journey took longer than expected, mostly due to Ciri constantly wanting to get off the horse and explore her surroundings. Eist finally got her to sit still for the back half of their journey when he bought her a cheese tartlet at a local bakery.

“Alright pup, we’re here.” Eist said, climbing off the horse as he held Ciri tightly, letting her down to walk once they were off.

He pushed the door open to see a young man he did not recognize behind a desk. The man took a moment to look up, but when he did, he stumbled as he tried to stand, clearly startled. “Your Majesty!” he said before bowing deeply.

Cranton came from behind a doorway covered with strings of seashells then. “Your Majesty!” Cranton said, also bowing deeply. “What has brought you here on this fine day?” Cranton lowered his gaze, noticing Ciri for the first time. “Your highness.” Cranton said, also bowing deeply to Ciri. “Bow you idiot!” Cranton said, turning to the young man in the room. “She is the Princess Cirilla of Cintra!”

Eist glanced over as the young man almost fell over out of nervousness as he bowed again.

“My, you have grown Princess.” Cranton said as he took a step closer to Ciri.

Eist felt Ciri back away as she half hid herself behind his leg, pulling his cape around her in the process.

“It’s alright Ciri, he made your medallion.” Eist said as he put his hand on the back of her head.

“This one?” Ciri said as she jumped back around from behind Eist’s leg and reached inside her cloak, pulling out her swallow medallion.

“That is the very one, Princess.” Cranton said, smiling warmly at her. “So, your Majesty, what can I do for you?” Cranton asked, turning his attention back to Eist.

Eist pulled out what he had sketched then and crossed to a nearby counter, laying it out.

“I’d like to have this made for the Queen. Can you do it?”

Cranton picked up the sketch, looking it over.

“Yes sire, a ring?”

“Yes.” Eist pulled out an emerald ring he had brought from Calanthe’s jewelry. “Her measurements can be matched to this one.”

Cranton took the ring silently, using it to draw Calanthe’s ring size on a piece of parchment that he pulled out from under the counter before turning his attention back to the sketch, handing Eist Calanthe’s emerald ring back before he asked, “Metal type?”.

“Bronze.”

“Gemstone?”

“No stones.” Eist said as he pulled out the pearls and pieces of mother of pearl from his pocket and handed them to Cranton. “Can these be used instead?”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Cranton said, looking them over in his hand. “These will do nicely, but there are two pearls here?”

“Yes, the larger one is for the ring, the other is for Ciri. Can you make her a necklace out of it, with just the pearl?”

“Of course.” Cranton moved to a velvet pad then, setting the sketch, pearls, mother of pearl, and his notes on it.

“How soon do you need these, your Majesty? I can have them easily done within a week but if you need them sooner, I can make arraignments to do so.”

“A week would be fine, thank you.” Eist said as he pulled his coin out of the leather pouch on his belt to pay.

“This is too much, your Majesty.” Cranton said.

“It’s fine, your work is exquisite.”

\--

Eist rode back by himself in a week’s time to pick up the ring and necklace.

“See if it is to your liking, your Majesty.” Cranton said as he opened the box that the ring was held in first.

Eist picked it up, holding it up to the light and smiled. It was perfect.

On his way out, Eist was stopped by Cranton.

“Here, your Majesty, you may want this.”

Cranton handed him his sketch of the ring back.

\--

Eist’s eyes were heavy, underneath them blue and sunken when he decided to climb out of bed, accepting that he would not get any more sleep. He ran his hands through his hair, ready to scream over his lack of sleep. Eist smiled though, remembering through the haze of exhaustion that Calanthe would be arriving today. Eist sprang from his bed then, dressing quickly.

“Thank the Gods Modron is arriving today.” Crach said when Eist sat down at the banquet table. “You look like you’re ready to fall over. Have you slept at all since you’ve arrived?”

Eist shrugged his shoulders as he quickly plated his food and began to eat. In truth he had only slept a few hours each night.

“She should be arriving by the afternoon.” Eist said as a smile crept onto his face for a moment. “Pavetta is arraigning the feast?”

“Yes, she was down here a moment ago, but she bustled off quickly to finish preparations.”

Eist nodded again. “Where is Ciri?”

“With her father. Duny took her to the hot springs again so she could swim. I swear the Princess has some Skelligan blood in her from somewhere. She likes the water too much not too.”

Eist smiled again for a moment. His granddaughter did love the water more than most.

“And the weather? All reports show it is fine for sailing?”

“Yes Uncle, no storms in sight and the seas are calm.”

Eist took a deep breath and sighed as he glanced outside. The day was nice, but that would not stop Eist from worrying.

“Uncle, everything is fine. You worry far too much about the woman who is known as the Lioness of Cintra.”

\--

Eist smelled the rain moments before he heard the rolling of thunder as he sat in the tub in his privy chamber. Eist climbed out of the tub, crossing the room quickly to throw open the window covers. The sky had turned an eerie shade of grey far too quickly that what nature allowed. A flash of lighting struck the sea then, sending lighting shooting across the water. Eist threw his clothes on and ran downstairs as the rain started to pour.

When Eist arrived downstairs to the main hall, Crach and Bran stood talking quietly.

“You told me there were no storms!” Eist bellowed as he stormed towards Crach, his hands balled into fists.

Bran stepped in between Eist and Crach. “Brother, stop!” Bran said, putting his face in Eist’s. “This is not a natural storm. Storms do not happen this quickly. Crach could not have known!”

The wind began to howl, roaring as it slammed into the castle walls.

“Storms apparently do happen this quickly and Calanthe is out there!” Eist screamed back.

“I am well aware she is out there but shouting about it won’t help!” Bran yelled back.

Eist hung his head then as he shook with anger. He turned, looking out a nearby window as rain fell in. The sky had turned so black it looked as if it was night. He saw a second strike of lighting hit the water. Eist knew what happened when lighting hit water. It spread like wildfire, electrocuting everything in its path until it faded.

“I’m going out there.” Eist said, turning to head towards the docks.

“No, you’re not.” Bran said, grabbing his arm from behind.

Eist quickly yanked his arm away. He looked again outside and saw the beacons begin to blow out, one by one, no longer able to be withstand the wind and rain.

“You can’t go out there, brother. You could very well get yourself killed.”

Eist turned then as anger flared through him.

“So, you expect me to wait here while Calanthe is out there?” Eist shouted, motioning towards the window as he did.

“Yes! It will do no good if you go out there! She could arrive after you go out, while you could easily get lost at sea looking for her. We will send out the entire fleet look for her if she does not arrive, after the storm as settled.”

Eist shook his head and made his way to the door.

“You can’t leave Skellige without my permission, Uncle.” Crach said softly as he hung his head.

Eist turned to him, seething. “I will leave if I damn well please!”

“You know the law, Eist.” Bran said. “You need the permission of the Jarl to set sail, even if you are the King.”

“I’m sorry Uncle.” Crach said as another bolt of lightning struck the water.

\--

Eist was sitting on the floor in the main hall with his back pressed against the door. The sound of the wind, rain, thunder, and lighting was beginning to make him sick. Eist hated storms, and the idea of Calanthe being on a ship that was at the mercy of a storm was making him want to scream. Eist’s eyes closed for a minute out of exhaustion, but he forced them open again. A few moments later he felt his head drop for a second as he almost dozed off again.

Shouting began suddenly outside. Eist lunged upwards, looking out the window. It was nearly pitch-black outside and a thick, dense fog had begun to roll in. Eist swallowed. Between the ongoing storm and the fog, it would be nearly impossible for Calanthe’s ship to sail let alone dock. Her ship could easily go off course and become lost at sea or collide with another ship or into land.

Eist narrowed his eyes, looking towards the area where men were beginning to gather in front of. The Cintran lion figurehead burst from the fog suddenly, just before the flagship crashed violently into the stone harbor wall of Kaer Trolde.

Eist opened the door so hard he pulled it off its hinges as he ran outside. The rain had stopped suddenly, but the thunder and lightning did not. Crach and Bran began running outside too, following Eist.

Another ship was already docked in the harbor, having arrived the day before that had planned to leave long before the Ard Rhena was due to arrive. The ship was anchored but swaying badly in the wind, twisting and turning on the water as waves threatened to break it loose from its anchor as the waves smashed angrily into it.

For a moment, Eist heard ringing in his ears as he lost focus. The other ship that was already docked broke away from its anchor then and in seconds, smashed into the royal cabin at the stern, into the part of the ship that Calanthe would be in.

Eist ran faster than he knew he was capable of, straight into the horrible, twisted wreckage of a ship in front of him. The bow of the ship was nearly smashed apart entirely, the lion figurehead broken and shattered into the water. The back of the ship where Calanthe’s cabin was located was half gone, with the other ship’s bow stuck in it.

The ringing returned as Eist ran at the wreckage and climbed into it, attempting the find the stairs that led to the cabin. Sailors were all around him, screaming and bleeding. A few men laid motionless on the deck of the ship. Eist ran past, only to find the stairway that led to the cabin blocked by water and floating debris. Eist was making his way in, throwing splintered wood out of the way when Crach pulled him back.

“This way!” Crach shouted.

Eist quickly climbed out, following Crach towards the back of the ship. When they reached the end, Crach jumped onto the other ship that had crashed into the Cintran flagship. Eist followed, hearing the wood crack as he landed. Eist turned, looking into the massive hole left behind from the collision.

Water was leaking in towards the back of the cabin that led to the flooded staircase that Eist had attempted to enter moments ago. Eist saw movement and focused his eyes as pushed Crach aside, jumping through the reamendments of the shattered window frame to enter the cabin.

Calanthe was on the ground that was severely slanted, half in the water that was quickly rising, on her knees and attempting to stand. Eist carefully adjusted his footing to keep his balance as he threw his arms around her without speaking, pulling her to her feet and out of the water. Eist clutched her tight to him as tears began to fall from his face.

“I’m alright. I’m alright.”Calanthe whispered it in his ear, over and over. Eist pulled her tighter to him, unwilling to let her go until he heard Calanthe gasp.

Eist kept his arms around her, holding her less tightly than before as he turned his head towards where Calanthe’s gaze fell. Crach was moving a broken chair off of Mousesack, who was lying motionless on the ground. As Crach tossed the broken chair to the side, a loud crack sounded in the air. The ship was breaking apart.

Eist’s arm locked around Calanthe’s waist as he pulled her towards where he had entered, glancing behind him to see the water rising quicker than before. Crach bent down, placing his fingertips to Mousesack’s wrist, checking for a pulse.

“He’s alive!” Crach explained.

“Thank the Gods.” Calanthe said weakly as she took a deep breath.

“Can you carry him?” Eist asked.

Crach nodded and picked Mousesack up, carrying him over both his shoulders. Eist went first, pulling Calanthe with him. The group dodged and climbed their way to the other ship. Eist glanced around for a moment, noticing that the sea waters were suddenly much calmer, the skies had cleared, and the fog had lifted. The other ship they were on had also crashed into the docks, so getting back to solid land was thankfully easy.

Bran ran to Crach when they reached land, pulling Mousesack from his shoulders. Several sailors were there then, pulling Mousesack onto a cloth made stretcher to carry him back to the castle.

“Are you sure you are alright?” Eist breathed against Calanthe’s forehead as held her tight against him.

The winds had calmed, and Eist watched as several Skelligan’s began to light the beacons again. Soon the area of the shipwreck was filled with light. Eist pulled back then, able to see Calanthe properly for the first time in weeks.

Eist’s jaw dropped slightly. Calanthe had a gash across the side of her forehead and her right jaw was bruised and turning purple.

“You are not alright.” Eist whispered as he took her hand in his and began to guide her towards the castle.

Calanthe stopped him, yanking on his hand as she pressed her feet into the ground after a few steps. “I am better off than Mousesack. The healer’s attention needs to be on him right now, not me.”

Eist lowered his eyes for a moment. He knew Calanthe was right.

“Does your head hurt? Are you dizzy?” Eist asked, looking at the gash on Calanthe’s head.

“It hurts but I’m not dizzy.” Calanthe said, taking a step towards Eist and leaning against him.

They were standing on higher ground now, looking down at the chaos that had occurred. Duny had come down to help Bran pull the rest of the soldiers off the ship. Bran himself carried the bodies of the dead sailors off the ship, laying each of them on the ground as they were covered with blankets.

Eist sighed, looking down at them. There were a total of four, four sailors who would not see their families again.

“They need to go home.” Calanthe said, her voice cracking as she did.

“I know. We will get them back to Cintra as soon as possible.” Eist whispered in her ear.

After a few moments, the pair turned and made their way towards the castle.

\--

Eist took a bottle of vodka that was in their chambers and poured some of it on a rag, dabbing Calanthe’s cuts one at a time to clean them.

“That shit stings!” Calanthe growled as she gritted her teeth while Eist gently dabbed at the gash on her head. “Will I need stitches?”

“I think you may.” Eist said, looking closely at the cut. It was deep.

“Can you do it?” Calanthe asked.

Eist sighed. He had given sailors stiches before at sea when it was required. He could do it but stitching up his wife was not something he wanted to do.

“I can…”

“Then I’d like you to do it.”

“Are you sure, I can see if a healer…”

“I’d rather it be you.”

Eist sighed again. “Alright, let me find a needle and thread.”

Eist went down to the infirmary, found what he needed, and quickly made his way back to their chambers.

Calanthe took several sips of vodka straight from the bottle before putting a rag in her mouth to bite onto. Eist glanced down at Calanthe, wondering how many times she had been through something like this before.

Tears ran down Calanthe’s cheeks as she pushed her eyes closed while Eist sewed her stiches in. He worked as quickly as he could, doing what little he could to be gentle and not hurt her in the process. When it was over, he put a thick layer of salve over it to help with the pain and kissed her gently on the lips while her eyes were still closed.

“I fucking hate needles!” Calanthe screamed when she took the rag out of her mouth.

Eist burst out laughing at that. “You love sword fighting, ride into battle leading your men, but you hate needles?”

Calanthe glared at Eist, “Yes.”

Eist chuckled, bending down and kissing her on the lips again.

After bathing, they both climbed into bed. Calanthe’s bruises had spread slightly, turning a darker shade of purple in the center and a yellow color around the edges. More cuts and scrapes were found when Calanthe’s dress was removed and while they bathed together.

“I’m going to be sore tomorrow.” Calanthe whispered as she climbed in between Eist’s legs to lay with her back against his chest, her bottom resting on the bed between his legs.

Eist was resting high against the pillows, almost sitting up. He put his arms around her, pulling her close as he leaned his head over her shoulder, the scruff from his cheek gently grazing her cheek as he kissed her.

Eist felt Calanthe settle quickly, relaxing into him after a few moments.

“Can you sleep like this?” Calanthe asked through a yawn.

“I can if you can.”

“I missed you.” Calanthe said.

Eist smiled as she rested her arms over his that were wrapped around her waist.

“I missed you too.” Eist whispered to her.

Eist bent down slightly, just enough to rest his chin against the side of her forehead. Within moments, Calanthe was asleep.

Eist laid awake that night, his adrenaline pumping too much to allow himself to fall asleep.

_That storm was indeed unnatural, but what would have caused it?_ Calanthe shifted slightly then in Eist’s arms before settling back down against him. Eist sighed and kissed the side of her head. He almost lost her today, and that thought terrified him.

Eist reached over and picked up a black box that was sitting on the table beside the bed. He opened the box and quickly pulled out the ring he had made for Calanthe.

Eist held it in his fingers for a moment, realizing how unlike it was compared to the rest of Calanthe’s jewelry. She always wore glamorous jewels, jewels that would make anyone envious of them. For a moment, Eist was worried that she would not like it, worried that what he had made for her was not good enough for her.

The band was made of bronze, just like his armor, and was woven to look like the rope pattern on his armor. The mother of pearl he had found was carefully cut to form a Cintran rose in bloom. In the very center of the rose was the Skelligan pearl that Eist and Ciri was found. He had no idea if Calanthe would like it, no idea if she would wear it. Eist took a chance and carefully picked up Calanthe’s left hand and slipped it on her ring finger. It fit perfectly. Eist smiled slightly before he took Calanthe’s hand in his and fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 7B - Calanthe

**Chapter 7B – Calanthe**

**Year – 1255**

Calanthe woke in the night gasping for breath, feeling as though she was underwater. She lurched forward, covered in a cold sweat, out of Eist’s arms. Calanthe clamored for a moment, grasping at Eist’s legs on either side of her to steady herself as she shook. Eist’s arms were around her then, leaning up and pulling her back into his chest. For a moment she forgot how she got there, and then the memory of the previous day came rushing back to her as the soreness from the gash on her head and cuts and bruises on her body made their presence known with flashes of pain.

\--

“I’ve never liked sailing, you know.” Calanthe said as the storm rocked their ship.

Calanthe and Mousesack sat at the table in the cabin on the Cintran royal flagship. Calanthe fidgeted with the reports in front of her as she glanced up to see the candle sway on the table. It was not supposed to storm today, all of her scouts had said the weather was perfect for sailing, yet they found themselves in the middle of a storm that was getting progressively worse.

She glanced outside as the sky was turning a sickly grey color suddenly. And the thunder began to roll. Her stomach started to cramp as her nerves began to get the better of her. No wonder Eist didn’t like storms. It was one thing to be inside the palace when storms rolled through, it was another entirely to be on the open water.

“I would not have known, your Majesty. You have always seemed quite the natural at it.” Mousesack said as retrieved a book from his chest before he took a seat across from the Queen and began to take a sip of beer.

“It’s different when I have the King to preoccupy me.” Calanthe said bluntly, causing Mousesack to choke on his beer and turn red. “I don’t understand, I thought the sea was supposed to be free of storms today?”

A flash of lightening lit up the room for a moment then.

“It was supposed to be, your Majesty.” Mousesack said, glancing out the window of the cabin.“Something seems off about this storm.”

They sat in silence as Calanthe returned to her reports and Mousesack to his book until the wind started to howl.

“That’s going to be a problem.” Mousesack said as he stood and left the cabin, heading towards the deck of the ship.

“What do you mean?” Calanthe practically yelled as she stood quickly to follow him.

“We won’t be able to sail with the wind like that.” Mousesack said as they began to climb the stairs.

“So, what do we do?” Calanthe asked.

“We either try to press on to Skellige or sit here and wait for it to pass. Either way there is a real danger.” Mousesack said as they reached the deck. “Captain!” Mousesack shouted as the two approached.

“Your Majesty.” The Captain said, bowing to Calanthe.

“What course of action are you taking Captain?” Calanthe asked.

“I would like to try to continue on, your Majesty. We are not far from Skellige. I will have the sailors speed up their rowing so hopefully we can outrun the storm.”

Calanthe nodded. The rain started to fall then, quickly turning from droplets to a down pour.

Mousesack quickly guided Calanthe below deck again and into the cabin. As they walked the ship rocked harshly, sending both of them into the hallway wall, slamming their shoulders against it. Calanthe regained her balance quickly and sprinted into the cabin with Mousesack following closely behind her.

She would not admit it to him, but she was scared. She had never been comfortable on ships unless Eist was with her. He would know what to do, or at the very least could certainly sail better than the Cintran Captain.

“Can you swim, your Majesty?” Mousesack asked as he closed the door.

“Yes.” Calanthe said quietly. He would not ask that without a reason.

Another strike of lighting lit up the sky for a moment. Calanthe turned to Mousesack as he picked up the candle when their ship rocked violently again, blowing it out, leaving them in darkness.

“Your Majesty, if the ship starts to go down, I will get you to the deck. When you are in the water find anything you can cling too or climb on that floats. The King will not stop searching until he finds you.”

Calanthe gulped. The tone in his voice was serious and unsettling. She crossed the room, standing close to the window. They appeared to be picking up speed as the wind howled around them.

“How close are we to Skellige?” Calanthe asked.

“It’s hard to say. We were less than an hour before this storm started.”

“Is that fog?” Calanthe asked as fog as dense as heavy falling snow suddenly engulfed their ship.

Calanthe heard screaming coming from the deck then.

“I can’t stop it!”

“We’re going to hit!”

“Take cover!”

The shouts began to blend together as Calanthe and Mousesack turned and began to sprint towards the door and up the stairs. Just as she opened the door, the entire ship lurched forward violently and began to shake, throwing Calanthe and Mousesack to the floor. The sound of wood cracking and splitting filled the air, soon followed by the sound of rushing water. Calanthe stood shakily, looking over her shoulder to see a gaping hole in the ship with water leaking through.

Calanthe blinked heavily, trying to focus in the dark. She turned then to see Mousesack standing, looking around.

“Are you alright, your Majesty?”

“I am,” Calanthe said shakily. “Are you?”

“I think… I think I hit my head.”

Mousesack’s back was to the window in the cabin while Calanthe could barely make out an outline of a ship when it suddenly crashed through. The sound of more wood splitting and glass shattering filled the air as Calanthe was knocked backwards into the wall, falling unconscious.

Calanthe wasn’t sure how long she was unconscious for when she woke to the sound of ringing and rushing water in here ears. Her head was heavy when she went to lift it off of the ground so for a moment she chose to lay there, until she realized that she was lying on a slant with her legs almost completely submerged in water. When she lifted her head, she felt liquid run into her eye. She wiped at it and when she did, she felt an immense amount of pain on her forehead. It only took her a moment longer to realize she was bleeding badly.

She propped herself on her knees, finding it more difficult to stand than it should be. She swore she heard footsteps and running as her head throbbed. Calanthe tried to attempt to stand again, but her arms gave out just as she tried to raise herself. Arms were around her then, grasping under hers and pulling her to her feet. Arms that were strong and knew exactly where to place his hands to pick her up. She was in Eist’s arms, and it was the first time she felt safe in weeks.

Calanthe heard him sniff and knew that he was crying. “I’m alright. I’m alright.” She repeated it over and over, trying to calm him. She could tell by the way he was clutching her how worried he was. Calanthe could feel the blood continue to trickle down above her eye as the throbbing in her head and the soreness in her body continued.

Calanthe’s eyes began to adjust as the clouds and fog began to break, revealing the low hung moon. She opened her eyes then, pulling away from his chest to look around his shoulder. Crach was lifting a chair off of Mousesack, who was sprawled motionless on the floor. Calanthe gasped as she felt her stomach twist at the sight.

Eist eased his grip on her for a moment as he turned, following her gaze. She felt his arm drop to her waist, holding onto her tight as he guided them to where Crach and Mousesack were. Calanthe watched, holding her breath as Crach bent down to check Mousesack’s pulse.

“He’s alive!” Crach exclaimed!

“Thank the Gods.” Calanthe said weakly as she took a deep breath.

“Can you carry him?” Eist asked.

Eist pulled her by the waist as Crach put Mousesack over both of his shoulders to carry him out. Eist guided her, carefully walking through the area where the ship had crashed into hers through the large cabin window. Soon Calanthe felt her feet touch land and in that moment, she was never so relieved for anything in her life.

Calanthe could hear people talking around her but she did not even make an attempt to listen to what they were saying. Eist pulled her into him again, clutching her tightly.

“Are you sure you are alright?” Eist breathed against Calanthe’s forehead as he held her tight.

Before she could respond, the beacons began to be lit, engulfing the harbor in light. Eist pulled back from her for a moment. Calanthe could see his expression change when he could see her. While she was not sure how she looked, she assumed it wasn’t good. Her head was throbbing and she could feel blood threatening to drip over her brow again. Her jaw and shoulder were sorer than the rest of her, but her entire body ached. Eist’s eyes changed in an instant from concerned and happy to worried and horrified.

“You are not alright.” Eist whispered as he took her hand in his and began to lead her up the hill to the castle.

Calanthe dug her heels into the ground as they made their way up the hill. “I am better off than Mousesack. The healer’s attention needs to be on him right now, not me.”

She watched as Eist lowered his eyes, silently admitting that she was right. “Does your head hurt? Are you dizzy?”

“It hurts but I’m not dizzy.” Calanthe said as she leaned against Eist. She had missed being close to him.

She turned as he wrapped his arms around her, leaning her back into him as she looked out over the chaos in the sea. Duny was down there with Bran as they helped pull soldiers from the wreckage. Bran himself carefully picked up the bodies of the dead Cintran sailors, lying them on land while Skellige sailors gently covered them with blankets. Calanthe took a deep breath. There were four in total, four sailors who would not see their families again.

“They need to go home.” Calanthe said as her voice cracked despite herself.

“I know. We will get them back to Cintra as soon as possible.” Eist whispered in her ear.

Calanthe’s head began to throb again. After a few moments, the pair turned and made their way towards the castle.

\--

“That shit stings!” Calanthe growled, gritting her teeth as Eist gently dabbed at the gash on her head. Her head was still throbbing, sending shockwaves of pain down her neck. Eist continued to clean Calanthe’s wound as Calanthe touched her jaw, pulling her hand away sharply at the pain it caused.

“Will I need stiches?”

“I think you may.” Eist said as he leaned closer to her, looking carefully at the gash on her forehead.

“Can you do it?” If anyone was going to stick a needle in her, she would rather it be him. She heard him sigh, could see the hesitation in his expression, but she wanted him to do it.

“I can…”

“Then I’d like you to do it.”

“Are you sure, I can see if a healer…”

“I’d rather it be you.”

Eist sighed again. “Alright, let me find a needle and thread.”

After Eist left, Calanthe took several large swigs from the bottle of vodka, praying it would kick in before Eist returned. She had been stitched up before and hated the process. Calanthe glanced around for a moment. Papers, a stick of charcoal, and Eist’s chest plate were sitting on the floor by the fire. She glanced over to the bedchamber door then, looking through the open door at a little black box sitting on the table beside where Eist slept. Calanthe focused it on it, curious about what it was. Before she could stand, Eist was quickly walking back in the room, carrying a needle, thread, and jar of salve.

Calanthe took a few more sips of vodka before putting a rag in her mouth to bite down on so she didn’t scream.

She closed her eyes tight, even as tears leaked through while Eist sewed her stitches. The pain made her sick to her stomach, and a few times when he pushed the needle through and she felt the thread follow, she felt like she would be sick. She felt a thick slab of salve on her cut then, which instantly helped ease the stinging that she felt. She kept her eyes closed still, until Eist placed a soft kiss on her lips.

“I fucking hate needles!” Calanthe screamed when she took the rag out of her mouth.

Eist burst into a fit of laughter. “You love sword fighting, ride into battle leading your men, but you hate needles?”

Calanthe glared at her husband, “Yes.”

Eist chuckled, bent down and kissed her on the lips again.

The tub in their privy chamber was filled with water by a servant while Eist carefully took Calanthe’s dress off, only to find more cuts and scrapes. When their bath was full, Eist helped Calanthe carefully climb in and settle in the water before joining her. At first the bath water was painful as the water stung her cuts and scrapes, causing her to wince. Eist carefully washed her body first and then her hair, being extra careful to not run water over her stitches when he rinsed her.

As Eist washed her, she studied his face carefully.

“You look tired, darling. Have you slept?” Calanthe asked as Eist ran the rag down her arm.

She saw the corners of Eist’s mouth lift slightly. “I can’t sleep well without you.”

Calanthe nodded as Eist asked, “What about you, have you slept?”

Calanthe laughed lightly. “No, I can’t sleep well without you either.”

It took Calanthe several times to convince Eist that she felt fine enough to wash him. As she slid the rag over his back and down his hips, she felt a pang of desire run through her, but she quickly repressed it. She and Eist were in no condition to do this now.

Even though the hot water burned her cuts and scrapes, it eased the soreness she felt in her muscles. After they were both cleaned, Eist climbed out of the tub first, grabbed a blanket, and helped Calanthe out of the tub, wrapping her quickly in the bowel.

After they both dried and Calanthe brushed and braided her hair, they both climbed into bed.

“I’m going to be sore tomorrow.” Calanthe whispered as she climbed in between Eist’s legs to lay with her back against his chest, her bottom resting on the bed between his legs. She sighed when his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close to him as he leaned forward, the scruff from his cheek gently grazing her as he kissed her cheek. Calanthe relaxed into him, almost falling asleep instantly at the feeling of being in his arms again.

“Can you sleep like this?” Calanthe asked through a yawn.

“I can if you can.”

“I missed you.” Calanthe said as she gently rested her arms over his that were wrapped around her waist.

“I missed you too.” Eist whispered as he kissed her cheek again.

Calanthe turned her head slightly as Eist bent his head down towards her. She could feel his chin rest gently against the side of her forehead. Within moments, she was asleep.

\--

The sun streamed through the window in their bedchamber the next morning, waking Calanthe. She had not even noticed that they had gone to sleep without closing the cover the previous night. Calanthe laid there, smiling softly at the feeling of Eist’s arms still around her and one of her hands in his, not moving from her while they slept. She began to gently stroke her hands over his hands and arms, barely touching as she glided her fingertips across his muscles. She glanced down for a moment, and that was when she noticed it.

Calanthe lifted her hand, holding it up to see what was on her finger.

A white Cintran Roles with a pearl center and a bronze rope like band was on her ring finger. She reached out with her right hand, gently running her finger over it. Tears came to her eyes as Eist stirred behind her. Calanthe blinked her eyes repeatedly to push back tears as Eist sighed and pulled his arms tighter around, leaning up slightly to press a kiss to her temple. She began to run her fingers again lightly over Eist’s arms as he held her close to him.

“Did you sleep well?” Calanthe whispered as she felt Eist turn his head, gently nuzzling her as he kissed behind her ear.

“Yes.” Eist whispered back as he kissed behind her ear again, sounding as content as could be. “How about you?”

Calanthe smiled. She had slept so well she was groggy with sleep. Her body still felt heavy but relaxed, like she had melted into Eist overnight.

“Very well. It’s amazing the effect sleeping in your arms has on me.”

She felt Eist smile against her as he kissed her cheek while he loosened his arms from her, moving from behind her so he could lay on top of her. Calanthe rested herself against the pillows as Eist hovered above her, looking over the cut on her head.

“How does that feel?” Eist said as he gently touched the area just around the cut.

“A little sore but not as bad as yesterday.” Calanthe said as she rested her hands on his shoulders, yawning and closing her eyes.

When she opened them, Eist was smiling down at her softly, grazing her cheek lightly with the back of his fingers. Calanthe moved her hands to run them gently over his cheek and through his hair. She remembered the ring then, having forgotten about it when Eist woke.

“Should I assume this beautiful ring is from you by the way?” Calanthe quipped as she lifted herself to kiss him on the lips for a moment.

“What?” Eist exclaimed, pretending to be shocked. He lifted himself too, raising himself up by his arms, looking around the bedchamber. “Who snuck in here last night, attempting to steal my wife’s heart by giving her a ring?”

Calanthe laughed then, reaching up to tickle his side, causing him to fall onto her as he began laughing.

“It’s beautiful. Truly.” Calanthe whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her to kiss him. They broke apart after a few moments.

“Where did you find this? I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Calanthe said as she lifted her hand to look at her ring again.

“I… uh… I had it made for you.” Eist whispered. Calanthe noticed the hesitation in his voice.

“What?” Calanthe asked.

Eist raised himself slightly again, reaching over to open the drawer inside the table beside the bed. Calanthe raised herself on her elbows beneath him as he pulled out a folded piece of parchment, handed it to her, and moved himself to be lying on his side beside her, raised on his elbow. She took the parchment, unfolded it, and gasped. It was a drawing of her ring, drawn in remarkable detail, matching the one she wore.

“Did you draw this?” Calanthe asked, looking over at Eist.

Eist nodded, not making eye contact with her.

“That’s why your chest plate was by the fire.” Calanthe said, looking at him. “The ring matches your armor.” Calanthe said softly. Tears burned hot behind her eyes as she looked at her ring.

“You don’t like it.” She heard Eist say. She lifted her gaze from the ring then to see Eist looking at her sadly.

“You bloody fool.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned over to him, putting her hand behind his head and pulling him into her, kissing him. She leaned back then, grazing the tip of her nose against his as she did. “It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen.”

Calanthe carefully laid the drawing on the bedside table before looking back down at her ring once again. It was not as lavish as her other jewelry, instead it was simpler, more refined, and meant far more. It was a ring she could wear, and would wear, every day for the rest of her life. She smiled as she looked closely at it, admiring the pearl and the mother of pearl details.

“Who made this anyway? They did an exquisite job.”

“Cranton.” Eist said as he rolled on his stomach, keeping himself propped on his elbows.

“And the pearl and mother of pearl? They are beautiful.”

“Ahh, you can thank Ciri for those.”

Calanthe looked over at Eist as she pulled her knees up, keeping them bent as she rested her feet flat against the bed.

“Ciri?”

“Yes. She helped me find them.” Eist leaned towards her then, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

“Wait, where did she find them?” Calanthe asked, now intrigued.

“We went down the beach our first day here. The pearl in your ring was from the first clam we opened, and it was one that Ciri found. The mother of pearl was easier to find. Oh, and…” Eist said, leaning over Calanthe as he reached into the drawer again, pulling out another box. “This is for Ciri. She asked if she could have pearl too. I didn’t see the harm in it.” Eist said as he opened the box, pulling out a small necklace with a pearl pendant dangling from it.”

Calanthe smiled widely. “She’ll love it. You spoil her, you know.” She said smiling as he set the box on the table.

“I know.” He said, wrapping his arms around her back as he settled above her.

“You spoil me too.”

“Well that goes without question.” Eist whispered as he leaned down, kissing her.

“The band on the ring. It looks like rope, it’s for Skellige isn’t it? It’s for you.”

Eist nodded as he pressed himself into her, kissing her on the cheek.

“It seems fitting.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you hold me together, just like the rope is doing for the rose.” Calanthe smiled, looking up at Eist as smiled down at her. “Thank you.” Calanthe whispered as Eist began to kiss her gently while his hand found its way down her side and rested between her thighs.

“Of course.” Eist whispered as Calanthe spread her legs slightly, gasping as Eist stroked the inside of her thigh.

She could feel her herself begin to burn as Eist began to kiss his way down her chest, slowly finding his way to where she wanted him most.


	15. Chapter 8A - Eist

**Chapter 8A – Eist**

**Year – 1255**

Two weeks had passed since the shipwreck. Eist was relieved to see the bruises finally begin to fade from Calanthe as the soreness in her muscles passed and the nightmares faded. Mousesack finally woke five days after the shipwreck but was still on mandatory bedrest issued by the Skelligan healers.

Eist and Calanthe had dressed, preparing to go down to the infirmary to eat breakfast with Mousesack when Calanthe looked in the looking glass, examining her stitches.

“Darling, I think this is healed.” She said as Eist finish tying his boots.

“Let me look at it.” Eist said as he rose from the bench he was sitting on, guiding her over to the window with his hand on her lower back.

Once standing in front of the light, Eist looked carefully over her cut. It had healed, leaving the faintest trace of a scar behind. Eist gently touched his thumb to the cut, carefully watching her face for any sign that she was in pain.

“Does that hurt?”

“No.”

Eist sighed. “Alright, I’ll cut your stiches out, but first…” Eist said as he crossed the room to open a drawer, pulling out a whetstone,“…I need to sharpen this a bit.”

Eist pulled his dagger from his belt, spending the next five minutes carefully sharpening the tip of the blade.

“I think it’s sharp enough, darling.” Calanthe said as she paced the room.

“We can’t be too careful. I don’t want this blade to get caught on the thread and pull…”

“Alright, that’s enough. I get it.” Calanthe said as she sat beside Eist by the window, leaning up slightly and kissing him on the cheek.

After a few more minutes, Eist carefully held the blade to Calanthe’s cut and one by one cut the thread through each loop that he had sewn, making it easier to remove. Eist used his thumb then the brush the threads away. As he finished brushing the final pieces, a knock sounded at their door. Eist glanced at Calanthe, raising his eyebrows. Neither one of them was expecting any guests and a servant would have entered by now.

Eist stood, walking to the door to open it.

“Your Majesty.” Mousesack said, smiling brightly as he bowed.

“Mousesack?” Eist asked quickly. “Are you feeling alright? Why are you still not on bedrest?”

“I am fine your Majesty, I was released this morning.”

Eist felt Calanthe approach then, putting her hand on his lower back as she did. “We were just coming down to eat breakfast with you!”

“Well it’s good that I have not eaten then yet, your Majesty.”

The trio began to head down the corridor, towards the banquet hall.

“Your Majesties, we will need to speak in private, sooner rather than later.” Mousesack said as they walked.

“Is something wrong?” Calanthe asked.

“I don’t know yet.” Mousesack said hesitantly as they entered the banquet hall.

Eist smiled as he and Calanthe made their way to their seats at the head of the table while Crach, Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny greeted Mousesack happily.

“What do you think Mousesack wants to talk about?” Calanthe asked as she and Eist sat down.

“I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good.” Eist said as he shifted his chair, moving it to be closer to Calanthe. Eist reached out his hand then, placing it gently on her thigh while rubbing his thumb back and forth.

“Where is Bran?” Eist asked as he looked around, realizing his brother was not present.

“Upstairs with one of his mistresses apparently. You missed Birna, she was down here a little while ago.” Crach said from beside Eist.

Eist glanced out of the corner of his eye to Calanthe, who shifted slightly in her seat. He knew Calanthe knew of the Skelligan tradition of having multiple wives and taking mistresses, they had discussed it before.

“I feel bad for Birna.” Pavetta said as she picked up Ciri into her arms, holding her as the little princess began to doze off.

“Why?” Asked Crach as he bit into an apple.

“Because, it must be hard is all. Seeing your husband with other women.”

“That is the Skelligan way, Princess.” Crach said as he took a second bite of his apple, smirking as he said, “Besides, Kings have rather large appetites, do they not Uncle?”

Eist lifted his eyes from his plate, glaring at Crach. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Calanthe again, who had not so subtly lifted her hand to her mouth to suppress a fit of laughter before picking up her fork to eat.

He smirked for a moment before turning to Crach, “Well, I do consider myself lucky to have found a Queen who has an equally large appetite as myself.”

Eist’s hand traveled lower as he spoke, pressing his fingers in between Calanthe’s legs as he stroked her through her dress. “Eist!” Calanthe said, turning to him and smacking him on the arm, wearing a look of irritation while still having a playful glint in her eye.

Eist winked at her before turning back to the others at the table. Pavetta groaned, Duny eyes had gone wide as he stared straight ahead, Crach laughed, and Mousesack turned as red as ever. Eist took another bite, finishing the last of his kedgeree as he looked over at Calanthe’s plate, seeing that hers was empty as well.

“Finished?” Eist asked as he leaned back in his chair.

Calanthe only nodded, smirking as she did so before raising her eyebrows slightly, nudging towards the door and standing. Eist quickly stood then, following Calanthe as she began to head towards the door.

“Your Majesties, we do need to talk!” Mousesack said as Eist caught up with Calanthe.

“We will, old friend.” Eist said, turning back to Mousesack. “But I don’t think right now is the best time.”

And with that Calanthe took Eist by the hand and practically dragged him out of the banquet hall as a huge smirk appeared across his face.

\--

“You say the most inappropriate things sometimes!” Calanthe said, smirking to Eist.

“I am nothing if not the King of inappropriate jokes.” Eist whispered in her ear.

“You have to stop doing that, by the way!” Calanthe said through fits of giggles as they quickly made their way to their bedchamber.

“Doing what?” Eist said as he turned to her as they walked briskly, stopping suddenly as he took her face in his hands, kissing her madly as he ran his hands down to her waist, pressing her against the wall in the corridor.

“Touching me like that while we are with other people!” Calanthe said through Eist’s kisses.

Eist took his hand then, cupping it against her center through the fabric of her dress, smiling as Calanthe moaned and rocked against his hand for a moment. “Would you rather I touched you like that instead?” Calanthe only moaned in response before Eist pulled his hand away, switching instead to his finger like he had at the table. “Or do you prefer this way?”

“I’d prefer it if we were in our bedchamber.” Calanthe gasped as Eist continued to stroke her through her dress.

“Whatever for, my love?” Eist teased as he switched his hand back to cupping her.

The corridor was empty as Eist rocked his palm against Calanthe as her head fell back against the wall. Soon Calanthe’s breathes were turning to gasps as Eist began to kiss her.

“I’m close.” Calanthe whispered to Eist as he smiled, rocking his hand faster against her, angling his wrist so the very edge of the base of his hand pressed against her.

Calanthe’s hips began to buck against his palm as her gasps turned into cries while she moaned his name. Eist smiled as he watched her mouth fall open slightly as her eyes rolled in the back of her head.

“Come for me.” Eist whispered into her ear.

With that, Calanthe screamed, but only for a moment until Eist quickly covered her mouth with his hand. Calanthe could only hold herself up for a few moments until her legs gave out from under her. He could feel Calanthe’s legs give out as he caught her quickly, removing his hand from her mouth while her body visibly shook, falling into him. She writhed against his hand still against her as he held her close to him until her body calmed.

When her orgasm faded, he wordlessly guided her to their chambers and quickly pulled her dress over her head as Calanthe pulled of his doublet, shirt, and pants. Soon Eist was naked and all Calanthe wore was her ring.

Eist guided Calanthe backwards to their bed, sitting her on the very edge as he dropped to his knees in between her legs. He smiled into her as Calanthe draped her knees over his shoulders, resting them against his back. She tasted sweet on his lips as Eist kissed her clit first, causing a visible shiver to run up Calanthe’s spine as he wrapped his arms around her buttocks, squeezing it gently. He relished in the sounds that began to come from his wife as he flicked his tongue over her, only to switch to plunging his tongue inside of her. When he finally sucked her into his mouth, Calanthe came hard, her hips jerking into him as she rode out her orgasm.

As her jerking slowed, Eist began to slowly trace kisses down her thigh before moving back up towards her center again. He felt Calanthe’s hands tangle in his hair, and then beginning to slowly trace down his neck and then back as her body slumped against him.

“Eist.” Calanthe whispered weakly as she tried to brace herself against his shoulders.

He glanced up, noticing how weak she was and quickly stood, taking her into his arms.

  
“I’ve got you, my love.” Eist whispered as he laid her on her back against the bed, quickly climbing on top of her as he did.

Calanthe leaned up then, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him into her, flicking her tongue into his mouth as she did. Eist flicked his tongue against hers for a moment, only to pull away. Before he could speak, before he could ask if she was ready for him, he felt Calanthe wrap her hand around his penis, causing his hips to spasm forward as he groaned. Eist raised himself on his elbows as he looked down at Calanthe, who let him go just as soon as she had started to stroke him. Eist groaned again, this time out of frustration until he realized what she was doing. He raised himself up higher, looking down sharply to see Calanthe’s hand graze between her legs and then pull away, all to wrap her hand around Eist’s penis, covering it with her own juices. The sight alone almost made Eist tip over the edge as he looked back up into Calanthe’s eyes. Her chocolate eyes were almost burning, brimming with licks of fire at him as Eist felt his face begin to contort as he whispered her name, over and over.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered into his ear as she increased the speed of her hand.

“I love you too.” Eist gasped out as his body began to shake.

Eist pulled away then, not wanting to finish yet.

He sat up in the middle of the bed, steading his breath. Eist glanced down at Calanthe then, who had lifted herself up to her elbows, her breasts rising and falling as she took several deep breaths. She smirked at him then, before raising herself to her knees.

“Do you want me?” Calanthe whispered seductively as she pushed Eist onto his back.

Eist only groaned in response as Calanthe got on her hands and knees and crawled in between his legs. She lowered herself then, keeping her buttocks high in the air as she opened her mouth wide and took all of him in at once. Eist screamed as his hips automatically jerked upward, causing Calanthe to cough and gasp as she rose, letting him fall from her mouth onto his stomach.

“I didn’t hear you, darling.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned down again, starting at the base of him and slowly licking in one continuous stroke until she reached the tip of him and kissed it.

“Yes!” Eist screamed when she took the tip of him in her mouth, sucking slowly and humming as she did.

She climbed on top of him then, resting her knees on either side of him as she guided herself onto him. Eist reached for her, holding onto her thighs as she slowly lowered herself.

Eist dug his fingers into her thighs when she was halfway onto him and suddenly lifted herself off completely before thrusting her hips down the whole way, allowing him to fill her entirely. Eist screamed again as she rode him hard, throwing her head back when Eist began to rub her tender clit with his thumb. Eist opened his eyes for a moment, relishing in the sight of his wife moving on top of him.

_Gods, she is beautiful._

Calanthe’s breath quickened as she began to gasp, thrusting onto him faster than before. Eist leaned upward, guiding her to lean over him. He began to meet her thrusts then, and within moments, he felt Calanthe’s thighs clench as she stopped moving, allowing him to thrust up into her fully as she braced herself with her hands on his shoulders. She screamed as he continued his quick strokes against her clit and pulled out of her a moment later, allowing her to squirt on him before he thrusted himself back inside of her. Calanthe’s entire body was shaking and soon her arms gave out, causing her to collapse against him. She fell onto Eist fully, causing both of them to cry out. Eist wrapped his arm around her, allowing her to ride out her orgasm as she continued small, light thrusts onto him while faint gasps still fell from her lips as she continued to shake.

When she stilled, she raised herself up slightly, just enough to kiss him on the lips. Eist softly returned her kiss and then quickly rolled them, lifting himself off of Calanthe only for a moment to guide her to turn and lay on her stomach. Calanthe lifted herself to her knees, raising her buttocks in the air again. Eist ran his hands over it for a moment and then took himself in his hand and guided his penis into her. Calanthe moaned loudly as he thrusted gently, entering her fully as he did so.

“That feels so good.” Calanthe whimpered when Eist found her clit again, flicking over it gently as he thrusted in and out of her.

Eist quickened his thrusts as he felt is own orgasm nearing, raising himself higher on his knees.

“Harder!” Calanthe gasped. She grabbed at their headboard, using it to hold herself in place as Eist pounded into her.

He pulled back his hips then, slamming them into her over and over as Calanthe raised her buttocks higher and pushed back into him. Eist stroked her faster than before as Calanthe began to shake.

“I’m coming!” Calanthe screamed weakly as Eist came too, pounding relentlessly into his wife and shouting her name.

They collapsed when they were finished, both gasping for breath. After a few moments, Eist found enough energy to roll onto his back and pull Calanthe on top of him.

“You are very good at that, you know.” Calanthe whispered against Eist’s chest.

Eist smiled, pulling her up to be face to face with him.

“So are you, my love.” Eist whispered back as he kissed her. “You are everything to me, you know that?”

“I know.” Calanthe said, smiling before she kissed him. “As you are to me, my darling.”

Eist smiled then, allowing his head to fall back. He felt Calanthe kiss him under his chin just as he fell asleep.

\--

“Eist! Eist! Wake up!”

He could feel Calanthe’s soft hands on his shoulders, shaking him gently.

“Hmm?” Eist asked as he slowly opened his eyes.

“Darling, we should wake, or we won’t be able to sleep tonight.” Calanthe said softly, leaning down from being raised on her hands above him and kissing him.

Eist smirked as he rubbed one of his hands up and down Calanthe’s back. “It’s fine. I can think of something we can do that will put us to sleep rather quickly.”

Calanthe smirked back at him, swatting his chest.

“We have to meet with several advisors this afternoon.” She said as she leaned down to kiss him again.

Eist groaned. He had forgotten about that. “Let’s cancel it.” He whispered as he gently placed his hand against the back of Calanthe’s head and guided her down to him, flicking his tongue against her lower lip. He felt himself beginning to harden as they kissed and then moments later, he was ready for her.

“And why would we do that?” Calanthe whispered into his kisses.

“Because as far as I can tell we are rather busy and are attending to much more urgent matters.”

“And what is going on now that is so urgent?” Calanthe asked playfully.

Eist shifted himself then so that Calanthe was lying on top of him.

“Oh!” Calanthe said as Eist’s hard member grazed her stomach.

Eist smirked up at her again before grazing the tip of her nose with his while he gently kissed the corner of her mouth.

“Never mind, this is a much more urgent matter.” Calanthe said huskily before making her way in between Eist’s legs and taking him in her mouth again.

\--

“Eist? Calanthe? Are you in there?”

Eist’s eyes snapped open as he quickly sat up, tightening his arms around his wife as he did to prevent her from falling off of his chest as he glanced out the open window in time to hear the second afternoon bell.

“Fuck.” Eist whispered.

They had not truly intended on skipping the meeting with their advisors. When they had finished for the second time that morning, they both agreed that they should get up and bathe to prevent themselves from falling back asleep. However, instead they both laid in each other’s arms for a little while longer and promptly fell asleep anyway.

“Eist?” Bran called again as he pounded on their door.

“We will be down soon!” Eist called as he shook Calanthe awake.

“What is it?” Calanthe said as Eist put his hand on her side, just above her waist as she shook her.

“We overslept! We should already be downstairs!” Eist said as he climbed out of bed.

“Fuck!” Calanthe yelled as she jumped out of bed. “We weren’t supposed to fall asleep again!” She yelled as she quickly followed him to the bathroom.

They washed themselves quickly and once they were finished, Eist washed his hair while Calanthe skipped hers to save time. She climbed out of the tub, quickly drying herself before she tossed the blanket assigned and quickly walked out of their privy chamber. and then pulled out a dark purple velvet dress for her to wear and Eist a linen shirt, brown leather doublet, and dark green pants.

Calanthe dressed quickly, throwing the dress over her head before sitting herself down at her vanity.

“You smeared by eyeliner!” Calanthe called playfully to Eist as he finished his bath.

Eist smirked as he rose from the tub, grabbing a small blanket and tying it around his waist as he made his way to their bedchamber.

“And I would gladly do it again.” Eist whispered as he walked up behind Calanthe, putting his hands gently on her shoulders as he bent down and kissed her on the cheek. Calanthe began dabbing oil into a small rag and then gently wiped her eye makeup away.

“Don’t take it off, there was nothing wrong with it.” Eist groaned as he rubbed small circles on her shoulders with his thumbs.

“Are you kidding me?” Calanthe asked, looking at him in the mirror. “It looks like I’ve been sleeping with my husband.” She quipped as she wiped the other eye.

“But you have been.” Eist said as he smirked at her. “Besides, it’s a good look for you.” He said as he let her go and walked to their bed where Calanthe had laid out his clothes.

“You only think it’s a good look because you caused it to look that way.” Calanthe said. “Imagine having to explain it once we arrive downstairs.”

Eist laughed as he picked up his pants. “I would but it would only make them jealous.”

Eist smiled as he pulled his pants on and turning to look at Calanthe who was already lining her eyes again. He pulled on his linen shirt and his doublet as she applied her lipstick and then began to brush her hair. By the time Eist finished putting on and tying his boots, Calanthe finished braiding her hair and twisting it into a bun.

“This will have to do.” Calanthe said to herself as she pinned her bun back with a hair fork and then quickly slipped her shoes on.

“My love, you could wear no makeup, not brush your hair for a week, and dress in rags and you would still be the most stunning woman on the Continent.” Eist said, and he meant every word of it.

Calanthe smiled warmly at him. “And you would be the only person on the Continent that would think that.” She said as she leaned up to kiss him as they reached the door to their chambers.

“Anyone who wouldn’t think that is a fool.” Eist responded as he opened the door for her.

Soon the pair was quickly making their way down the stairs towards the room where Bran had already gathered with their advisors.

“Ah, here is the King and the Ard Rhena now.” Bran said when the door was opened for them by a servant. “I was just telling everyone how the two of you have not been feeling well as of late.”

Eist noticed the look he was getting from his brother and Mousesack as he and Calanthe made their way to seats at the head of the table.

“Yes, it seems we are both worn out from certain activities that we rather enjoy partaking in.” Eist said, smirking as they both sat and saw Calanthe close her eyes and sigh out exasperation of the corner of his eye.

\--

It was past the sixth evening hour when their meeting ending. While the meeting had gone much longer than expected, Eist was pleased. An additional fort would be built on the Northern Isles which would help their aid in case of an attack. Calanthe had easily persuaded Crach to have another fifty Skelligan warships built, based on Eist’s own design.

As the meeting ended, Mousesack quickly cornered Eist and Calanthe in the room before they could leave.

“Your Majesties, we need to talk!”

Eist was irritated. He could feel his stomach growl and his head throb as Mousesack spoke. He and Calanthe had slept through the mid-day meal, so the only thing he had eaten that day was kedgeree and an apple during their meeting. Just then he heard Calanthe’s stomach growl too.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked.

“It’s about the storm, I do not believe it came from nature. It was too abrupt, too sudden, and too strong.”

Eist stared at Mousesack. He remembered the feeling he had that night, the sickness he felt in his stomach. The storm had seemed off, but he had quickly pushed those thoughts away when Calanthe’s flagship crashed into the stone harbor.

“I’m sure you are right. Something was off that night.” Eist said quietly.

“And the hydra, I went down this morning to look at it. Its scales had already been stripped but I was able to find them in the armory and examine them. That hydra is a species that lives off the coast of Poviss.”

“Poviss? Their waters are below freezing.” Eist said as he took Calanthe’s hand in his. He could feel cold sweat in her hand and turned to her questionably. She only smiled at him though, so he placed a soft kiss to her temple and then turned back to Mousesack.

“Exactly. How did a hydra that lives in sub-zero temperatures find its way in between The Isle’s and Cintra?” Mousesack said, looking between the two.

“It wouldn’t.” Calanthe said after taking a deep breath, glancing over at Eist. “Are you saying that it was led down here?”

“Or teleported.”

Eist looked at Mousesack questionably.

“Why on the Continent would someone teleport a hydra here? What purpose does that serve?”

“You and the Queen were not originally supposed to sail separately.”

Eist felt his blood go cold. Very few had known that Calanthe as supposed to set sail with Eist before their plans were quickly changed when the Redianan ambassador had to delay his travel to Cintra.

“And when the Queen sailed separately, a terrible, unnatural storm hit.”

“What are you saying Mousesack?” Eist asked as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

“I’m saying I believe someone is trying to kill the Queen.”

\--

Eist all but dragged Calanthe back to their quarters as Mousesack quickly followed them. He forgot about the pain in his stomach and in his head as a cold sweat began on his neck.

“Mousesack, can you find Pavetta, Duny, and Ciri and bring them here?” Eist said briskly as he hovered over Calanthe until they reached the door to their chambers.

“Of course.” Mousesack said, bowing and then sprinting down the hall.

“They are supposed to go to Undvik tomorrow.” Calanthe said after Eist shut the door to their chambers and locked it.

“We will triple their guards, my love. Do you want Ciri to stay with us?”

Eist watched as Calanthe paused for a moment, wondering who their granddaughter would be safer with.

“I do, but she belongs with Pavetta. And besides, Pavetta would not be able to bear it if she knows that there is danger and she is not with Ciri.”

Eist nodded, rubbing his hands up and down Calanthe’s arms as they stood close together in front of the fire.

“Should we even tell them?” Calanthe asked.

“We can’t add to their guard without explanation and not tell them. They will question it.”

Calanthe nodded.

“I don’t believe they are in danger, my love.” Eist said as he bent down, pressing his forehead to hers. “You on the other hand, I don’t want you going anywhere without an escort.”

Eist looked down at Calanthe as she leaned back from him, glaring at him sharply.

“I am perfectly capable of defending myself.”

“I know that.” Eist said as he took her face in his hands. “Just please… I could not bear it if anything happened to you.”

Eist watched as Calanthe’s eyes softened just as a knock sounded at their door. Eist reluctantly let go of Calanthe as he slowly walked over to it, opening it just enough so he could see who was outside. Eist took a deep breath and quickly backed away, opening the door wide to let Mousesack, Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny through before shutting and locking the door behind them.

“Is everything alright?” Pavetta asked.

“Grandmama!” Ciri yelled from Pavetta’s side, letting go of her mother’s hand to run to Calanthe.

Eist smiled as he watched Calanthe pick up Ciri and hold her close to her. “My little cub.” Calanthe said softly, rubbing Ciri’s back as she rested her head on her grandmothers’ shoulder.

“We need to talk.” Eist said, motioning towards the seating in their sitting room.

Mousesack picked up a pitcher of beer, pouring everyone a goblet full as the others sat, Pavetta and Duny on one couch, and Eist and Calanthe on the other. Eist waited for Calanthe to sit, adjusting Ciri’s legs as she did. When he saw she was comfortable, he sat next to her, pressed against her side. Mousesack handed out the beers then as Eist took Calanthe’s, setting it on the table in front of her while she held Ciri.

“I don’t know where to begin.” Eist said as he bent over, elbows on his knees, pinching his nose as hunger began to pang in his stomach again.

Mousesack took a deep breath. “I have reason to believe that the hydra you encountered on your journey hear,” he said, nodding to Pavetta and Duny as he spoke, “And the storm that the Queen and I experienced are not a coincidence and were in fact planned attempts on the Queen’s life.”

“What?” Pavetta asked. Eist looked at her, seeing the terror in her eyes. “Who would do such a thing?”

“I don’t know.” Mousesack said, shaking his head.

“Why do you think that?” Duny asked as he put his arm around Pavetta.

“As you know, the Queen was originally set to leave for Skellige with the lot of you. Her plans changed at the last minute and were not publicly announced till after they had changed.”

“And they hydra,” Eist said, sitting back on the couch as he did, “The hydra is apparently a native to the freezing Poviss coastline. It would not have traveled all this way down here on its own.”

Duny nodded then, glancing at Pavetta. “Should we still leave for Undvik tomorrow?”

“I don’t see why not. You do not appear to be in any danger. Your guard will be tripled, and Duny,” Eist said turning his gaze to him, “Do not let Pavetta or Ciri out of your sight. I meant it, not even for a moment.”

Duny nodded.

“I will be allowed to keep Ciri with me?” Pavetta asked quietly.

Eist glanced back at Pavetta and then over to Calanthe. Pavetta knew the law. Calanthe could command her granddaughter stay with her if she chose.

“Yes,” Calanthe said as Ciri shifted in her lap. “She should be with her mother. If any more threats make themselves known, then we will assess them when the time comes.”

Ciri wiggled around then, turning in Calanthe’s lap to face Eist. Eist chuckled as Ciri smiled widely at him and crawled onto his lap, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Hello there, little pup.” Eist whispered as he kissed her forehead.

“What are you going to do?” Pavetta asked after she took a sip of beer.

“We are going to stay here for now, until we can find out more.” Eist said as Ciri snuggled against him.

“I suppose we should get back to our chambers and finish packing then.” Pavetta said, sighing as she stood.

“We will see you off in the morning.” Calanthe said as she stood, walking to her daughter and kissing her on the cheek.

Eist hugged Ciri for a moment and then handed her to her father.

“Goodnight Grandpapa.” Ciri said as she was handed back to her father. Eist smiled and leaned down, kissing his granddaughter on the cheek.

“Goodnight little pup.”

“Goodnight Grandmama.” Ciri said then, turning her gaze to Calanthe.

“Goodnight my little cub.” Calanthe said smiling as she leaned down to kiss Ciri on her other cheek.

“Mousesack,” Eist called out as the group began to leave the room. “You will escort them back to their chambers?”

“Yes, of course your Majesty. I was also going to have additional guards brought to your chambers as well.”

Eist nodded. “Can you also ask that dinner be brought up for us? You are more than welcome to come back and eat with us if you’d like.”

Mousesack smiled. “No thank you, your Majesty, but I will have dinner brought to you.”

Mousesack turned to leave then, but Eist stopped him again.

“Can you ask Bran to come and see us, as soon as possible?”

Eist returned to sit with Calanthe on the couch as they waited for Bran. He took her hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles as he did.

“I’ve been thinking,” Calanthe said as she turned to face Eist on the couch “I will write to Vissegerd. See if he has heard anything.”

“That’s a good idea.” Eist said. “Better yet, how many people knew of your travel plans before they changed?”

“Outside of the family and Vissegerd, I’m not sure, but it was not many. It couldn’t have been.”

“Exactly. Have Vissegerd arrest anyone who knew and interrogate them, especially if any of them were new to court.”

Calanthe nodded again. “What do you need Bran for anyway?”

“I want him to escort Pavetta and Ciri to Undvick…”

Eist was cut off by another knock at their door. He stood, crossing the room, carefully opening the door again to find Bran standing there.

“You asked to see me brother?” Bran asked questionably.

“Yes.” Eist said, stepping away to allow him to enter.

“Your Majesty.” Bran said, bowing as he saw Calanthe.

“That really is not necessary, you know.” Calanthe said as Bran sat across from her.

“It may not be for you, Ard Rhena, but it is for me.” Bran said, nodding and smiling to her as he did.

Eist did not sit by Calanthe this time, but instead stayed standing.

“We need a favor.”

Eist spent the next few minutes explaining the threat to the Queen again as pangs of hunger rolled through his stomach and head.

“I know it’s very last minute, but I would feel better if you were with them.” Eist finished.

Bran furrowed his brow for a moment, thinking. “Of course I will go, but what about you? Are you staying on The Isles?”

“For now. I don’t want to travel across the sea until we find out more.”

Bran nodded and stood to leave. As he reached the door, he turned back to Eist. “Remember, you can always leave without announcing it. If you left in the dead of night, no one would know.”

Eist nodded as Bran opened the door to see a servant walking up the halls with a rolling cart of food.

\--

Eist was never so happy to see a platter of lobster tails in all his life. When he and Calanthe were alone, Eist quickly plated their lobster, rice, and asparagus.

“I’m starving!” Calanthe said as Eist sat her plate in front of her at the small table in their room.

“As am I, my love.” Eist said as they began to eat.

After they ate, Calanthe sat at the desk in their sitting room while Eist picked up a piece of driftwood he had found on the beach a week ago and had brought back to their chambers. He found his carving knife in a cabinet in their sitting room and sat down on the couch again and began to carve. Eist wasn’t sure how long it had been when he heard a piece of parchment being crumbled up.

He glanced up from his carving then. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t like what I wrote.” Calanthe said as she tossed the parchment aside and started over.

Eist continued with his carving until Calanthe said, “Alright, tell me what you think about this.” She stood as she spoke, slowly making her way to Eist as she walked.

Eist sat back, listening to Calanthe as she read her letter to Vissegerd.

“Sounds good to me.” Eist said as Calanthe stood over him, leaning down to kiss him.

She sat down beside him, folding the letter as she did. “A ship?” she asked, nodding towards the carving in Eist’s hand.

Eist chuckled. “Yes. It’s for Ciri.”

Calanthe smiled and then stood again, walking towards their bedchamber.

“Where are you going?” Eist asked as he jumped up to follow her.

“To get a book, darling.” Calanthe called at him.

Eist all but ran into the bedchamber to find Calanthe pulling a book off of a shelf.

“What?” she asked when Eist entered.

“I don’t want you to be alone right now.”

“Darling, surely I can be in another room if we are in our chambers.” Calanthe said as she walked towards him, rolling her eyes as she did.

Eist sighed, looking at her in the eyes. “I’d rather you weren’t.”

“Eist, you are being ridiculous. How would anyone get to me in our bedchamber?”

He felt a little foolish then. “I don’t know, the window maybe?”

“Ah, so a winged assassin is after me?” Calanthe said, glaring up at him. “I understand you don’t want me to be alone right now, but you are becoming a bit paranoid.”

“That’s probably true.” Eist said as Calanthe walked around him to their sitting room as Eist followed, shutting their bedchamber door behind him. Calanthe sat again on the couch and even though Eist suspected she was annoyed, she did not move away from him when he sat, pressing against her again. “You know I will be paranoid until we get to the bottom of this.” He said, turning his head to kiss her on the temple before picking up the driftwood and carving knife again.

“I know,” Calanthe said as she leaned down to pull her shoes off. Eist watched out of the corner of his eye as Calanthe curled against him, opening her book as she did. “And I love you all the more for it.”

\--

It took another hour for Eist to finish carving out the toy ship for Ciri. When he was finished smoothing it, he leaned down and kissed Calanthe on the top of her head.

“What do you think?” he asked, handing it over to her as she sat up.

He watched as Calanthe smiled, taking it from him as she did.

“I think she’ll love it.” Calanthe said, leaning in to kiss him.

They parted after a few moments when Eist heard a thud come from their bedroom. Calanthe must have heard it too, because he heard her stand after he did, pulling his dagger from his belt.

“Stay here.” Eist said as he quickly approached their bedchamber door.

Eist stooped just outside the door and had been so focused on listening to what could have caused the noise that he did not notice that Calanthe was behind him until she accidently walked into him when he stopped suddenly. He turned, glaring over his shoulder at her.

“What happened to you staying over there?”

“You should know by now that I wouldn’t listen to that.” Calanthe quipped back as she walked around Eist, opening the door.

A large pelican stood perched on their windowsill, angrily flapping its wings.

Calanthe burst into a fit of laughter as Eist took a deep breath, not realizing he had stopped breathing for a moment.

“Well, you were right darling. Apparently our window is where my assassin will enter.” Calanthe said as she crossed the room, waving the pelican away and then turned back to Eist.

“Very funny.” Eist said, walking to her, shutting the window cover and locking it.

\--

They stayed awake later than usual that night, neither one of them able to sleep.

They bathed after Calanthe chased the pelican from their bedchamber. This time, Eist washed Calanthe’s hair as she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

“God’s, that feels good.”

Eist smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

\--

After they bathed, they sat opposite each other on the couches in their sitting room, playing a game of chess. Calanthe had slipped on one of Eist’s linen shirts and left her hair loose to dry by the fire. Eist sat shirtless and in a pair of loose-fitting linen pants as he ran his hand through his wet hair, slicking it back. He glanced up at Calanthe as she pondered her next move.

“You are absolutely stunning, you know that?” Eist said as Calanthe moved one of her knights, taking out one of his pawns.

“I don’t know about that.” Calanthe said as Eist moved one of his bishops to take out one of her pawns. “I think I rather look like a drowned rat right now.”

“Then maybe…” Eist said as Calanthe moved her rook across the other side of the board. “Your eyesight is blurring with age, my love.”

Calanthe picked up a pillow on the couch she was sitting on and tossed it at Eist, laughing as she did.

“My eyesight is fine, thank you very much!”

“If it was then you would see what I see, which is the most beautiful woman on the Continent.” Eist said, throwing the pillow back at her.

Calanthe was too fast for Eist, catching the pillow before it hit her. She smiled at him as Eist gazed at her.

“You’re not so bad looking yourself, you know that Eist Tuirseach?”

Eist smirked, moving one of his pawns over hers. “I’ve noticed that myself. I seem to become better looking with age.” He said jokingly.

He glanced up then to see Calanthe rising from her seat on the couch, walking around the table the chess board was on to straddle his lap. Eist gazed up at her as she took his face in her hands.

“I think your right.”

“Right about what?” Eist asked as he felt a bulge beginning to form in his pants.

“You are somehow even better looking today than you were yesterday.” Calanthe said as she reached down and began untying his pants.

\--

Eist ran his fingers up and down Calanthe’s back as she drifted off to sleep in his arms. Eist however, found he could not fall asleep. Every time he closed his eyes and began to drift off, a gust of wind, a squawk of a seagull, or the sound of a particularly large wave crashing into the harbor woke him. Eist tightened his arms around Calanthe. He knew apart of him was acting paranoid. He also knew there was nothing that would ease his fears until he found the person responsible for attempting to kill his wife.


	16. Chapter 8B - Calanthe

**Chapter 8B – Calanthe**

**Year – 1255**

Two weeks had passed since the shipwreck. Calanthe’s bruises had finally faded as did the nightmares she had had of drowning on the Cintran royal flagship. Mousesack finally woke five days after the shipwreck had occurred but was still on mandatory bedrest.

Calanthe visited him often, sometimes without Eist in tow.

_“Pavetta and Ciri miss you.” Calanthe said as she handed Mousesack several books for him to read. “They should be down to see you later.”_

_“Good, I miss them too. I don’t want Princess Cirilla to get behind on their lessons.”_

_Calanthe laughed lightly. “She’s only five, I think she’ll be fine if she has a few days off from learning her numbers.”_

Eist and Calanthe had dressed, preparing to go down to the infirmary to eat breakfast with Mousesack when Calanthe looked in the looking glass, examining her stitches.

“Darling, I think this is healed.” Calanthe said, looking closely at her stiches in the mirror. A faint scar was left behind by her cut which displeased her.

“Let me look at it.” Eist said as he rose from the bench he was sitting on, guiding her over to the window with his hand on her lower back.

Once standing in front of the light, Eist looked carefully over her as he gently touched his thumb to her cut.

“Does that hurt?”

“No.”

Eist sighed. “Alright, I’ll cut your stiches out, but first…” Eist said as he crossed the room to open a drawer, pulling out a whetstone,“…I need to sharpen this a bit.”

“I think it’s sharp enough, darling.” Calanthe said as she paced the room, growing impatient as Eist sharpened his dagger.

“We can’t be too careful. I don’t want this blade to get caught on the thread and pull…”

“Alright, that’s enough. I get it.” Calanthe said as she sat beside Eist by the window, leaning up slightly and kissing him on the cheek.

After a few more minutes, Eist carefully held the blade to Calanthe’s cut and quickly removed her stitches. As he finished gently brushing the final pieces away, a knock sounded at their door. Eist glanced at Calanthe, raising his eyebrows. Neither one of them was expecting any guests and a servant would have entered by now.

Calanthe stayed by the window as Eist crossed the room to open their door.

“Your Majesty.” Mousesack greeted from the doorway.

“Mousesack?” Eist asked quickly. “Are you feeling alright? Why are you still not on bedrest?”

“I am fine your Majesty, I was released this morning.”

Calanthe stood then, walking to Eist as she rested her hand on his lower back. “We were just coming down to eat breakfast with you!”

“Well it’s good that I have not eaten then yet, your Majesty.”

The trio began to head down the corridor, towards the banquet hall.

“Your Majesties, we will need to speak in private, sooner rather than later.” Mousesack said as they walked.

“Is something wrong?” Calanthe asked.

“I don’t know yet.” Mousesack said hesitantly as they entered the banquet hall.

As Calanthe and Eist made their way to the head of the table, Crach, Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny greeted Mousesack happily.

“What do you think Mousesack wants to talk about?” Calanthe asked as she and Eist sat down.

“I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good.” Eist said as he shifted his chair, moving it to be closer to Calanthe. She smiled coyly when Eist put his hand on her thigh, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth as he did.

“Where is Bran?” Eist asked.

“Upstairs with one of his mistresses apparently. You missed Birna, she was down here a little while ago.” Crach said from beside Eist.

Calanthe shifted in her seat, sighing to herself. She was well aware of the Skelligan tradition of having multiple wives and taking mistresses.

“I feel bad for Birna.” Pavetta said as she picked up Ciri into her arms, holding her as the little princess began to doze off.

“Why?” Asked Crach as he bit into an apple.

Calanthe looked down at her plate as Pavetta spoke. Calanthe agreed with her, although she would not voice her opinion here, it was not worth the argument that it would cause. The idea of seeing Eist with another woman was enough to make her sick to her stomach. She glanced over at him then as he took a bite of his food, his hand still resting on her thigh. She smiled slightly, knowing full well that she was enough for him.

“That is the Skelligan way, Princess.” Crach said as he took a second bite of his apple, smirking as he said, “Besides, Kings have rather large appetites, do they not Uncle?”

Calanthe almost burst into laughter as to how true that rumor applied to Eist. She lifted her hand quickly to suppress her laughter before picking up her fork to eat.

“Well, I do consider myself lucky to have found a Queen who has an equally large appetite as myself.” Eist’s hand traveled lower as he spoke, pressing his fingers in between Calanthe’s legs as he stroked her through her dress.

“Eist!” Calanthe said, turning to him and smacking him on the arm, wearing a look of irritation while still having a playful glint in her eye.

Eist winked at her before turning back to the others at the table. Calanthe looked up too as she heard Pavetta groan and Crach laugh as she watched Duny’s eyes go wide as he stared straight ahead while Mousesack turned as red as ever.

“Finished?” Eist asked Calanthe as he leaned back in his chair.

Calanthe only nodded, smirking as she did so before raising her eyebrows slightly, nudging towards the door and standing. She could hear Eist stand and begin to follow her as she made her way towards the door.

“Your Majesties, we do need to talk!” Mousesack said as Eist caught up with Calanthe.

“We will, old friend.” Eist said, turning back to Mousesack. “But I don’t think right now is the best time.”

And with that Calanthe took Eist by the hand and practically dragged him out of the banquet hall.

\--

“You say the most inappropriate things sometimes!” Calanthe said, smirking to Eist.

“I am nothing if not the King of inappropriate jokes.” Eist whispered in her ear.

“You have to stop doing that, by the way!” Calanthe said through fits of giggles as they quickly made their way to their bedchamber.

“Doing what?” Eist said as he turned to her as they walked briskly, stopping suddenly as he took her face in his hands, kissing her madly as he ran his hands down to her waist, pressing her against the wall in the corridor.

“Touching me like that while we are with other people!” Calanthe said through Eist’s kisses.

Eist took his hand then, cupping it against her center through the fabric of her dress as Calanthe moaned and rocked against his hand for a moment. “Would you rather I touched you like that instead?” Calanthe only moaned in response before Eist pulled his hand away, switching instead to his finger like he had at the table. “Or do you prefer this way?”

“I’d prefer it if we were in our bedchamber.” Calanthe gasped as Eist continued to stroke her through her dress.

“Whatever for, my love?” Eist teased as he switched his hand back to cupping her.

The corridor was empty as Eist rocked his palm against Calanthe as her head fell back against the wall. Soon Calanthe’s breathes were turning to gasps as Eist began to kiss her.

“I’m close.” Calanthe whispered to Eist as he angled his hand against her while she grinded herself onto his palm.

Calanthe’s hips began to buck against his palm as her gasps turned into cries while she moaned his name. Her mouth fell open slightly as her eyes rolled in the back of her head.

“Come for me.” Eist whispered into her ear.

With that, Calanthe screamed as she felt her orgasm burst through her, but only for a moment until Eist quickly covered her mouth with his hand. Calanthe could only hold herself up for a few moments until her legs gave out from under her. Eist caught her, removing his hand from her mouth while her body shook as she fell into him. She writhed against his hand still against her as he held her close to him until her body calmed.

When her orgasm faded, he wordlessly guided her to their chambers and quickly pulled her dress over her head as Calanthe pulled of his doublet, shirt, and pants. Soon Eist was naked and all Calanthe wore was her ring.

Calanthe felt the back of her legs hit the bed as Eist guided her backwards to sit on the edge. He dropped to his knees then, causing a shockwave of desire to run through her as she draped her knees over his shoulders, resting them against his back. He kissed her clit first, causing her to shiver as he wrapped his arms around her buttocks, squeezing gently. The feeling of Eist’s hands squeezing her sent a ripple through her which only intensified when Eist flicked his tongue over her clit repeatedly, only to then flick his tongue inside of her. Calanthe rocked against him and soon Eist sucked her clit into his mouth, causing her to fall over the edge as her hips jerked against him as she came hard against his mouth.

As her jerking slowed, Eist began to slowly trace kisses down her thigh before moving back up towards her center again. Calanthe tangled her hands in his hair at first and then slowly traced them down his neck and then his back as she slumped against his body, weak from her orgasm.

“Eist.” Calanthe whispered weakly as she tried to brace herself against his shoulders.

  
“I’ve got you, my love.” Eist whispered, taking her in his arms as he laid her on her back against the bed, quickly climbing on top of her.

Calanthe leaned up then, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him into her, flicking her tongue into his mouth. Eist flicked his tongue against hers for a moment, only to pull away. Calanthe quickly wrapped her hand around his penis, causing his hips to spasm forward as he groaned. Eist raised himself on his elbows as he looked down at Calanthe, who let him go just as soon as she had started to stroke him. Eist groaned again, causing her to smile softly. She reached in between her legs, gliding her hand against herself to wet it with her juices, and then wrapped her hand around Eist again. Calanthe smiled as Eist’s ocean blue eyes met hers, filled with passion and lust just for her. Soon his face was contorting as he whispered her name, over and over as she thrusted her hand up and down on him.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered into his ear as she increased the speed of her hand.

“I love you too.” Eist gasped out as his body began to shake.

Eist pulled away then, sitting up in the middle of the bed, steading his breath. Calanthe lifted herself up to her elbows, her breasts rising and falling as she took several deep breaths. She smirked at him then, before raising herself to her knees.

“Do you want me?” Calanthe whispered seductively as she pushed Eist onto his back.

Eist only groaned in response as Calanthe got on her hands and knees and crawled in between his legs. She lowered herself then, keeping her buttocks high in the air as she opened her mouth wide and took all of him in at once. Eist screamed as his hips automatically jerked upward, causing Calanthe to cough and gasp as she rose, letting him fall from her mouth onto his stomach.

“I didn’t hear you, darling.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned down again, starting at the base of him and slowly licking in one continuous stroke until she reached the tip of him and kissed it.

“Yes!” Eist screamed as she took the took just the tip of him into her mouth, sucking slowly and humming as she did.

She climbed on top of him then, resting her knees on either side of him as she guided herself onto him. Eist reached for her, holding onto her thighs as she slowly lowered herself.

Eist dug his fingers into her thighs when she was halfway onto him, sending more shockwaves through her. She lifted herself off completely before thrusting her hips down the whole way, allowing him to fill her entirely. Eist screamed again as she rode him hard, throwing her head back when Eist began to rub her tender clit with his thumb.

Calanthe’s breath quickened as she began to gasp, thrusting onto him faster than before. Eist leaned upward, guiding her to lean over him. Eist met her thrusts and soon Calanthe’s thighs clenched as she stopped moving. She could feel her orgasm nearing and the pleasure from it was so intense she almost couldn’t take it. Eist thrusted into her fully while she braced herself against his shoulders as she began to quiver. She screamed as Eist continued his quick strokes on her clit as he thrusted up into her and then pulled out as she squirted. Calanthe felt as though she would pass out and then Eist thrusted himself back inside of her, filling her completely. She fell into him, collapsing from her orgasm. She felt Eist wrap his arm around her, steadying her as she rode out her orgasm, lightly thrusting herself against him as she gasped.

When she stilled, she raised herself up slightly, just enough to kiss him on the lips. Eist softly returned her kiss and then she found herself being rolled onto her stomach. Calanthe smiled, lifting her buttocks in the air again. She felt Eist gently run his hand over her buttocks for a moment and then he was in her, filling her in one gentle thrust.

“That feels so good.” Calanthe whimpered when Eist found her clit again, flicking over it gently as he thrusted in and out of her. “Harder!” Calanthe gasped as Eist quickened his thrusts.

She grabbed at their headboard, using it to hold herself in place as Eist pounded into her. He pulled back his hips then, slamming them into her over and over as Calanthe raised her buttocks higher and pushed back into him. Eist stroked her faster than before as Calanthe began to quiver against him.

“I’m coming!” Calanthe screamed weakly as Eist came with her, pounding into her relentlessly as he shouted her name.

They collapsed when they were finished, both gasping for breath. After a few moments, Calanthe found herself lying against Eist’s chest as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You are very good at that, you know.” Calanthe whispered against Eist’s chest.

Eist pulled her up then to be face to face with him.

“So are you, my love.” Eist whispered back as he kissed her. “You are everything to me, you know that?”

“I know.” Calanthe said, smiling before she kissed him. “As you are to me, my darling.”

Eist smiled then, allowing his head to fall back. Calanthe leaned up and kissed him under his chin. Eist fell asleep then, so Calanthe curled her head against his chest. Within moments she was asleep in his arms.

\--

Calanthe blinked lazily as she opened her eyes, looking around their room. The sun was high and although it was not visible to them until the afternoon, she could tell it was high enough to be mid-morning. She lifted herself off of Eist then and turned to look at him. He looked so peaceful as he laid there, but she knew if they did not get up now that they would pay for it tomorrow.

“Eist! Eist! Wake up!” Calanthe said as she gently shook his shoulders.

“Hmm?” Eist asked as he slowly opened his eyes.

“Darling, we should wake, or we won’t be able to sleep tonight.” Calanthe said softly, leaning down from being raised on her hands above him and kissing him.

Eist smirked as he rubbed one of his hands up and down Calanthe’s back. “It’s fine. I can think of something we can do that will put us to sleep rather quickly.”

Calanthe smirked back at him, swatting his chest.

“We have to meet with several advisors this afternoon.” She said as she leaned down to kiss him again.

Eist groaned. “Let’s cancel it.” He whispered as he gently placed his hand against the back of Calanthe’s head and guided her down to him, flicking his tongue against her lower lip.

“And why would we do that?” Calanthe whispered into his kisses.

“Because as far as I can tell we are rather busy and are attending to much more urgent matters.”

“And what is going on now that is so urgent?” Calanthe asked playfully.

Eist shifted himself then so that Calanthe was lying on top of him.

“Oh!” Calanthe said as Eist’s hard member grazed her stomach. He was ready for her again.

Eist smirked up at her again before grazing the tip of her nose with his while he gently kissed the corner of her mouth.

“Never mind, this is a much more urgent matter.” Calanthe said huskily before making her way in between Eist’s legs and hungrily taking him in her mouth again.

\--

Calanthe could hear Eist shouting at someone but did not bother to open her eyes.

“We will be down soon!” Eist called as Calanthe felt his hand on her side, shaking her softly.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked sleepily.

“We overslept! We should already be downstairs!” Eist said as he climbed out of bed.

“Fuck!” Calanthe yelled as she jumped out of bed. “We weren’t supposed to fall asleep again!” She yelled as she quickly followed him to the bathroom.

They washed themselves quickly and once they were finished, Eist washed his hair while Calanthe skipped hers to save time. She climbed out of the tub, quickly drying herself before she tossed the blanket aside and quickly walked out of their privy chamber. She pulled out a dark purple velvet dress for her to wear and Eist a linen shirt, brown leather doublet, and dark green pants.

Calanthe dressed quickly, throwing the dress over her head before sitting herself down at her vanity.

“You smeared by eyeliner!” Calanthe called playfully to Eist.

“And I would gladly do it again.” Eist whispered as he walked up behind Calanthe with a blanket wrapped around his waist, putting his hands gently on her shoulders as he bent down and kissed her on the cheek. Calanthe began dabbing oil into a small rag and then gently wiped her eye makeup away.

“Don’t take it off, there was nothing wrong with it.” Eist groaned as he rubbed small circles on her shoulders with his thumbs.

“Are you kidding me?” Calanthe asked, looking at him in the mirror. “It looks like I’ve been sleeping with my husband.” She quipped as she wiped the other eye.

“But you have been.” Eist said as he smirked at her. “Besides, it’s a good look for you.” He said as he let her go and walked to their bed where Calanthe had laid out his clothes.

“You only think it’s a good look because you caused it to look that way.” Calanthe said. “Imagine having to explain it once we arrive downstairs.”

Eist laughed. “I would but it would only make them jealous.”

Calanthe smirked to herself, rolling her eyes as she did.

Calanthe began applying her eyeliner again as Eist dressed. She then applied her lipstick and began to brush her hair. After she brushed it to be free of knots, she braided it quickly and twisted it into a bun, pinning it with a hair fork when she was finished.

“This will have to do.” Calanthe said to herself as she slipped her shoes on.

“My love, you could wear no makeup, not brush your hair for a week, and dress in rags and you would still be the most stunning woman on the Continent.” Eist said.

Calanthe smiled warmly at him. “And you would be the only person on the Continent that would think that.” She said as she leaned up to kiss him as they reached the door to their chambers.

“Anyone who wouldn’t think that is a fool.” Eist responded as he opened the door for her.

Soon the pair was quickly making their way down the stairs towards the room where Bran had already gathered with their advisors.

“Ah, here is the King and the Ard Rhena now.” Bran said when the door was opened for them by a servant. “I was just telling everyone how the two of you have not been feeling well as of late.”

“Yes, it seems we are both worn out from certain activities that we rather enjoy partaking in.” Eist said.

Calanthe closed her eyes and sighed out exasperation at another one of her husbands inappropriate jokes.

\--

The meeting had gone on far longer than planned, ending finally at the sixth evening hour. Even though the meeting had been drawn out much farther than it needed to be, Calanthe was pleased and suspected Eist was too. She had convinced Crach to have another fifty Skelligan warships built that Eist had designed himself and Eist had convinced the others that an additional fort needed to be built on the Northern Isles in case of an attack.

As the meeting ended, Mousesack quickly cornered Calanthe and Eist in the room before they could leave.

“Your Majesties, we need to talk!”

Calanthe’s stomach began to growl. Neither she nor Eist had eaten since breakfast besides an apple that they each had during their meeting. Her head began to ache over an hour ago and now she was growing nauseous due to lack of food.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked.

“It’s about the storm, I do not believe it came from nature. It was too abrupt, too sudden, and too strong.”

Calanthe glanced up at Eist and then to Mousesack. She remembered that night all too well. She remembered how quickly the storm seemed to come upon them, remembered the fog seemingly coming from know where. She remembered the feeling in her gut as she was thrown around like a doll when the ship plowed into the harbor and when the other ship ripped into the cabin. Calanthe took a quiet, steady breath. She could feel panic begin to rise in her even though she was safe on land.

“I’m sure you are right. Something was off that night.” Eist said quietly.

“And the hydra, I went down this morning to look at it. Its scales had already been stripped but I was able to find them in the armory and examine them. That hydra is a species that lives off the coast of Poviss.”

“Poviss? Their waters are below freezing.” Eist said as he took Calanthe’s hand in his. Calanthe steadied her breath then, just as dizziness started to take over her.

“Exactly. How did a hydra that lives in sub-zero temperatures find its way in between The Isle’s and Cintra?” Mousesack said, looking between the two.

“It wouldn’t.” Calanthe said after taking a deep breath, glancing over at Eist. “Are you saying that it was led down here?”

“Or teleported.”

“Why on the Continent would someone teleport a hydra here? What purpose does that serve?” Eist asked.

“You and the Queen were not originally supposed to sail separately.”

Calanthe felt Eist tense beside her as she stared at Mousesack. Very few had known her original plans to travel to Skellige with Eist and the rest of her family. They only changed after the Redianan ambassador had to delay his visit due to a bout of sickness.

“And when the Queen sailed separately, a terrible, unnatural storm hit.”

“What are you saying Mousesack?” Eist asked.

“I’m saying I believe someone is trying to kill the Queen.”

\--

Eist all but dragged Calanthe back to their quarters as Mousesack quickly followed them. Calanthe felt Eist half pulling, sometimes half pushing her along the corridors to their chambers. He never hurt her, but she was growing annoyed. She could walk perfectly fine on her own and him panicking was not helping matters.

“Mousesack, can you find Pavetta, Duny, and Ciri and bring them here?” Eist asked briskly as he hovered over Calanthe until they reached the door to their chambers.

“Of course.” Mousesack said, bowing and then sprinting down the hall.

Eist had moved to putting his hands around Calanthe’s upper arms, pushing her quickly up the hallway. She felt ridiculous as they walked past several courtiers as Eist guided her to walk closer to the corridor wall, further away from the courtiers as they passed.

“They are supposed to go to Undvik tomorrow.” Calanthe said after Eist shut the door to their chambers and locked it.

“We will triple their guards, my love. Do you want Ciri to stay with us?”

Calanthe paused. Would Ciri be safer with her mother or with herself? Pavetta had never learned to wield a weapon, so the only one who would be with them at all times that could protect Ciri was her father, whereas Calanthe and Eist could both easily remove any physical threat to Ciri with one swing of their sword. Pavetta would be devastated to be parted from Ciri for so long though. Besides, at the moment the only person that seemed to be under threat was Calanthe herself.

“I do, but she belongs with Pavetta. And besides, Pavetta would not be able to bear it if she knows that there is danger and she is not with Ciri.”

Eist nodded, rubbing his hands up and down Calanthe’s arms as they stood close together in front of the fire.

“Should we even tell them?” Calanthe asked.

“We can’t add to their guard without explanation and not tell them. They will question it.”

Calanthe nodded.

“I don’t believe they are in danger, my love.” Eist said as he bent down, pressing his forehead to hers. “You on the other hand, I don’t want you going anywhere without an escort.”

Calanthe leaned back away from him, glaring at him sharply. She couldn’t stand it when he did this. Calanthe did not enjoy the even the slightest implication, especially from her husband, that she could not fend for herself.

“I am perfectly capable of defending myself.”

“I know that.” Eist said as he took her face in his hands. “Just please… I could not bear it if anything happened to you.”

She could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He wasn’t asking her, he was begging. Calanthe soften her expression, knowing full well the terror that was running through is veins. If there was a threat against him like there was against her, should would be panicked too. A knock sounded at their door then. She noticed Eist stiffen as he looked over at the door, walking to it slowly and barely opening it.

“Is everything alright?” Pavetta asked as she, Ciri, Duny, and Mousesack made their way inside.

“Grandmama!” Ciri yelled from Pavetta’s side, letting go of her mother’s hand to run to Calanthe.

Calanthe caught Ciri in her arms and picked her up, pulling her close. “My little cub.” She whispered as Ciri rested her head on Calanthe’s shoulder while Calanthe began to rub Ciri’s back. Calanthe smiled when she felt Ciri smile against her shoulder as she settled against her.

“We need to talk.” Eist said, motioning towards the seating in their sitting room.

Calanthe walked to one of the couches, adjusting Ciri’s legs to wrap around her waist as she sat. After she did, Eist sat beside her, pressing against her as he did while Mousesack handed the beers out. Eist took both his and hers, setting hers on the table while she continued to hold Ciri.

“I don’t know where to begin.” Eist said as he bent over, elbows on his knees and pinching his nose.

Mousesack took a deep breath. “I have reason to believe that the hydra you encountered on your journey hear,” he said, nodding to Pavetta and Duny as he spoke, “And the storm that the Queen and I experienced are not a coincidence and were in fact planned attempts on the Queen’s life.”

“What?” Pavetta asked. “Who would do such a thing?”

“I don’t know.” Mousesack said, shaking his head.

“Why do you think that?” Duny asked as he put his arm around Pavetta.

“As you know, the Queen was originally set to leave for Skellige with the lot of you. Her plans changed at the last minute and were not publicly announced till after they had changed.”

“And they hydra,” Eist said, sitting back on the couch as he did, “The hydra is apparently a native to the freezing Poviss coastline. It would not have traveled all this way down here on its own.”

Duny nodded then, glancing at Pavetta. “Should we still leave for Undvik tomorrow?”

“I don’t see why not. You do not appear to be in any danger. Your guard will be tripled, and Duny,” Eist said turning his gaze to him, “Do not let Pavetta or Ciri out of your sight. I meant it, not even for a moment.”

Duny nodded.

“I will be allowed to keep Ciri with me?” Pavetta asked quietly.

“Yes,” Calanthe said as Ciri shifted in her lap. “She should be with her mother. If any more threats make themselves known, then we will assess them when the time comes.”

Ciri wiggled around then, turning in Calanthe’s lap to face Eist. Calanthe reluctantly let go of Ciri as she crawled off of her lap and into Eist’s.

“Hello there, little pup.” Eist whispered as he kissed her forehead.

“What are you going to do?” Pavetta asked after she took a sip of beer.

“We are going to stay here for now, until we can find out more.” Eist said as Ciri snuggled against him.

“I suppose we should get back to our chambers and finish packing then.” Pavetta said, sighing as she stood.

“We will see you off in the morning.” Calanthe said as she stood as well, walking to her daughter and kissing her on the cheek.

“Goodnight Grandpapa.” Ciri said as she was handed back to her father.

“Goodnight little pup.” Eist said as he leaned down and kissed Ciri on the cheek.

“Goodnight Grandmama.” Ciri said then, turning her gaze to her.

“Goodnight my little cub.” Calanthe smiled, pausing for a moment to marvel at how much Ciri looked like Pavetta. She leaned down then and kissed Ciri on her other cheek.

“Mousesack,” Eist called out as the group began to leave the room. “You will escort them back to their chambers?”

“Yes, of course your Majesty. I was also going to have additional guards brought to your chambers as well.”

Eist nodded. “Can you also ask that dinner be brought up for us? You are more than welcome to come back and eat with us if you’d like.”

Mousesack smiled. “No thank you, your Majesty, but I will have dinner brought to you.”

Mousesack turned to leave then, but Calanthe watched as Eist stopped him again.

“Can you ask Bran to come and see us, as soon as possible?”

Eist returned to sit with Calanthe on the couch as they waited for Bran. He took her hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles as he did.

“I’ve been thinking,” Calanthe said as she turned to face Eist on the couch “I will write to Vissegerd. See if he has heard anything.”

“That’s a good idea.” Eist said. “Better yet, how many people knew of your travel plans before they changed?”

“Outside of the family and Vissegerd, I’m not sure, but it was not many. It couldn’t have been.”

“Exactly. Have Vissegerd arrest anyone who knew and interrogate them, especially if any of them were new to court.”

Calanthe nodded again before asking, “What do you need Bran for anyway?”

“I want him to escort Pavetta and Ciri to Undvick…”

Eist was cut off by another knock at their door. He stood, crossing the room, carefully opening the door again to find Bran standing there.

“You asked to see me brother?” Bran asked questionably.

“Yes.” Eist said, stepping away to allow him to enter.

“Your Majesty.” Bran said, bowing as he saw Calanthe.

“That really is not necessary, you know.” Calanthe said as Bran sat across from her. She had told Bran there was no need for him to bow to her unless the occasion called for it. A private gathering in their personal chambers was not one of those occasions.

“It may not be for you, Ard Rhena, but it is for me.” Bran said, nodding and smiling to her as he did.

Eist did not sit by Calanthe this time, but instead stayed standing.

“We need a favor.”

Eist spent the next few minutes explaining the threat to the Queen. Calanthe sighed softly as he spoke. She was used to threats like this against her life and while they no longer fazed her, she certainly found them rather annoying. The threats had started when she was a toddler, according to her father, and had continued well up to now. Most of them were meaningless and never amounted to anything and the others had been dealt with, one way or another. Things had calmed after she married Eist though, with most on the Continent rightfully fearing their alliance. Their affection and devotion for each other had spread quickly throughout the Continent, as did the rumors of Eist’s fierce protection over his wife. Calanthe honestly thought that anyone who tried to harm her now was at the very least a fool and at the most had a death wish.

“I know it’s very last minute, but I would feel better if you were with them.” Eist finished.

Bran furrowed his brow for a moment, thinking. “Of course I will go, but what about you? Are you staying on The Isles?”

“For now. I don’t want to travel across the sea until we find out more.”

Bran nodded and stood to leave. As he reached the door, he turned back to Eist. “Remember, you can always leave without announcing it. If you left in the dead of night, no one would know.”

\--

“I’m starving!” Calanthe said as Eist sat her plate of lobster, rice, and asparagus in front of her at the small table in their room.

“As am I, my love.” Eist said as they began to eat.

After they ate, Calanthe sat at the desk in their sitting room while Eist picked up a piece of driftwood he had found on the beach a week ago and had brought back to their chambers. He took his carving knife and sat down on the couch again and began to carve. Calanthe began to write and realized quickly that she wasn’t entirely sure what to say. Thinking that anyone in her court was a traitor made her sick to her stomach again. After writing a few lines, she crumpled up her piece of parchment.

“What’s wrong?” Eist asked from the couch.

“I didn’t like what I wrote.” Calanthe said as she tossed the parchment aside and started over.

Calanthe sighed, thinking to herself before starting again. After a few minutes, she picked up the quill and began to write.

Eist continued with his carving until Calanthe said, “Alright, tell me what you think about this.” She stood as she spoke, slowly making her way to Eist.

_Vissegerd,_

_As you are aware, a hydra attacked the Kings ship on its way to Skellige and I myself encountered a terrible store. Mousesack believes that these were not a coincidence and in fact were attempts on my life. Arrest and interrogate anyone that was made aware of my original travel plans to travel with the King to Skellige, with special attention being paid to anyone knew to court._

_The King and I will remain on Skellige until further notice. Inform me as quickly as possible of your findings._

  * _Queen Calanthe_



“Sounds good to me.” Eist said as Calanthe stood over him, leaning down to kiss him.

She sat down beside him, folding the letter as she did. “A ship?” she asked, nodding towards the carving in Eist’s hand. Eist already had the bottom of the ship carved out and was now working on the sails.

Eist chuckled. “Yes. It’s for Ciri.”

Calanthe smiled and then stood again, walking towards their bedchamber to find a book to read while Eist finished carving. She knew he would not stop until it was done so he could give it to Ciri tomorrow before she left.

“Where are you going?” Eist asked as he jumped.

“To get a book, darling.” Calanthe called back at him as she walked into their bedchamber.

“What?” she asked as Eist burst into their bedchamber behind her, his eyes quickly searching for her as she pulled a book off the shelf.

“I don’t want you to be alone right now.”

“Darling, surely I can be in another room if we are in our chambers.” Calanthe said as she walked towards him, rolling her eyes as she did.

Eist sighed, looking at her in the eyes. “I’d rather you weren’t.”

“Eist, you are being ridiculous. How would anyone get to me in our bedchamber?”

“I don’t know, the window maybe?”

“Ah, so a winged assassin is after me?” Calanthe said, glaring up at him. “I understand you don’t want me to be alone right now, but you are becoming a bit paranoid.”

“That’s probably true.” Eist said as Calanthe walked around him to their sitting room as Eist followed, shutting their bedchamber door behind him. Calanthe sat again on the couch as Eist sat beside her again, pressing himself against her. “You know I will be paranoid until we get to the bottom of this.” He said, turning his head to kiss her on the temple before picking up the driftwood and carving knife again.

“I know,” Calanthe said as she leaned down to pull her shoes off. She curled against him then, opening her book as she did. “And I love you all the more for it.”

\--

“What do you think?” Eist asked, kissing her on the top of her head as he handed Ciri’s toy to her as she sat up.

Calanthe smiled, taking the finished toy from him.

“I think she’ll love it.” Calanthe said, leaning in to kiss him.

A thud sounded from their bedroom, causing Eist to quickly stand and pull his dagger from his belt. The thud had not been particularly loud, but it still caused curiosity to run through Calanthe as she stood.

“Stay here.” Eist said as he quickly approached their bedchamber door.

Calanthe rolled her eyes and quietly followed him, not even entertaining the thought of staying behind in their sitting room. Eist stopped suddenly outside their door though, causing Calanthe to accidently walk into him, revealing that she was following him.

“What happened to you staying over there?” Eist said as he glared at her from over his shoulder.

“You should know by now that I wouldn’t listen to that.” Calanthe quipped back as she walked around Eist, opening the door.

A large pelican stood perched on their windowsill, angrily flapping its wings.

Calanthe burst into a fit of laughter as she heard Eist take a deep breath.

“Well, you were right darling. Apparently, our window is where my assassin will enter.” Calanthe said as she crossed the room, waving the pelican away. The bird flapped its wings angrily again for a moment and then flew away as Calanthe turned back to Eist.

“Very funny.” Eist said, walking to her, shutting the window cover and locking it.

\--

They stayed awake later than usual that night, neither one of them able to sleep.

They bathed after Calanthe chased the pelican from their bedchamber. This time, Eist washed Calanthe’s hair as she leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

“God’s, that feels good.” Calanthe said as Eist ran his fingertips over her scalp, causing a soft moan to escape her lips.

Calanthe smiled when Eist placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

\--

After they bathed, they sat opposite each other on the couches in their sitting room, playing a game of chess. Calanthe had slipped on one of Eist’s linen shirts and left her hair loose to dry by the fire. Eist sat shirtless and in a pair of loose-fitting linen pants as he ran his hand through his wet hair, slicking it back. He glanced up at Calanthe as she pondered her next move.

“You are absolutely stunning, you know that?” Eist said as Calanthe moved one of her knights, taking out one of his pawns.

“I don’t know about that.” Calanthe said as Eist moved one of his bishops to take out one of her pawns. “I think I rather look like a drowned rat right now.”

“Then maybe…” Eist said as Calanthe moved her rook across the other side of the board. “Your eyesight is blurring with age, my love.”

Calanthe picked up a pillow on the couch she was sitting on and tossed it at Eist, laughing as she did.

“My eyesight is fine, thank you very much!”

“If it was then you would see what I see, which is the most beautiful woman on the Continent.” Eist said, throwing the pillow back at her.

Calanthe was too fast for Eist, catching the pillow before it hit her. She smiled at him as Eist gazed at her.

“You’re not so bad looking yourself, you know that Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe said as her eyes drifted from his face, down his body, and then back up again.

Eist smirked, moving one of his pawns over hers. “I’ve noticed that myself. I seem to become better looking with age.” He said jokingly.

Calanthe stood then, walking around the table as she gazed at Eist, admiring him as she neared. She sat on his lap then, taking his craggy, handsome face in her hands as he gazed up at her.

“I think your right.” Calanthe whispered as she began to feel a bulge pressing against her thigh.

“Right about what?”

“You are somehow even better looking today than you were yesterday.” Calanthe said as she reached down and began untying his pants.

\--

When they finished, Eist pulled her into his arms as he always did. Calanthe thought to herself that she should be tired of this by now, ready to sleep on the opposite side of the bed. Even after six years of marriage, she could not get enough of him. Nothing brought her greater peace than lying in his arms. Calanthe sighed softly as Eist began to run his fingers up and down her back as she drifted off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 9A - Eist

**Chapter 9A – Eist**

**Years – 1255/1256**

The air was as cold as ice in the early morning when Eist woke. The fire had gone out in their bedchamber as they slept, leaving nothing to prevent the air from cooling as the wind seeped through the window cover around the edges. Eist stayed huddled under the covers as he pulled a fur blanket up higher, covering Calanthe’s shoulders as he did. He leaned down to reach for another cover to pull up only to notice that the rest had fallen on the floor. Eist leaned his head back against the pillows and sighed, not wanting to get out of bed. After a few moments, Eist carefully climbed out from under Calanthe as she slept against his chest, keeping her covered with the blanket as he did.

When he rose, he quickly grabbed his robe off of a nearby chair and tossed it on, tying it around his waist as he walked to the fireplace. It only took him a moment to get the fire started when he heard the bedcovers begin to shuffle behind him. Eist turned to see Calanthe stirring softly, her eyes closed as she reached her arm out for him. He tried to make it back to bed in time before she found him missing, but Calanthe opened her eyes before he did.

“Eist?” Calanthe said sleepily as she sat up, squinting around the room as she looked for him.

“I’m here, my love.” Eist whispered as he picked up the blankets that had fallen to the floor and tossed them on the bed. He pulled his robe off and tossed it on top as well before quickly lifting the blankets. “Gods, it’s cold.” He said as he climbed back under the covers.

“I think I may need to warm you up.” Calanthe whispered as she pulled the covers up over them.

Eist smiled. Calanthe was warm against him as she rested her head against his chest and draped one of her legs over his. He wrapped his arms around her, tracing the familiar path he always did up and down her back with the tips of his fingers. Eist closed his eyes as Calanthe all but purred against his chest as she settled against him. Soon the fire warmed their bedchamber, allowing Eist to pull the fur blanket down slightly from where it rested against Calanthe’s cheeks as she drifted back to sleep. Eist gazed down at her, smiling as he felt her breath steady against him. She looked content and peaceful, without a care in the world as she slept. He leaned down and kissed her on the temple before settling himself back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling.

The fire crackled as he continued to run his fingertips up and down Calanthe’s back as he pondered what Mousesack had told them yesterday. Should Calanthe stay inside of their chambers? Was sailing back to Cintra the best option? What if he took her somewhere else on the Isles, to a private residence of some sort where no one would know where she was?

Eist thought of many ideas, and none of them seemed good enough. Calanthe would hand off her letter to be sent to Vissegerd today and hopefully his response would bring answers.

“Your Majesties?”

Eist had been lost in his thoughts, unsure of how much time had passed since he lit the fire. He sighed as he flicked his eyes to their bedchamber door.

“We’re awake.” Eist lied as he continued to stroke Calanthe’s back while she slept. “Have breakfast brought up.”

He waited until he heard the main door to their chambers close and lock again before he leaned down, kissing Calanthe on the top of her head.

“It’s time to get up.” Eist said as he ran both of his hands up to her shoulders, rubbing them to coax her awake.

“Pavetta and Ciri leave today.” Calanthe whispered softly as she lifted herself to meet his eyes.

“I know.” Eist whispered back. He could see the pain in her eyes. Calanthe could not stand to be parted from Pavetta or Ciri and now that there was so much uncertainty with the threat against Calanthe’s life, Eist suspected that she disliked being parted from them even more. “They will be safe. Bran will see to that, I promise.”

Calanthe lifted herself off of him then and began to stretch as she stood. Eist put his hands behind his head as the blanket that had been covering him slipped to barely cover his lap.

“I want to go down to the training yard later today.” Calanthe said as she raised her arms high over her head, lacing her fingers together to stretch her back.

“Whatever you want.” Eist said, a lopsided smile appearing on his face as he watched his wife.

Calanthe turned to him after she lowered her arms, smiling as she did. “Are you going to get up or just lay there and stare at me all day?”

“Is that an option? Because if it is, I’ll take it.” Eist said, chuckling as Calanthe rolled her eyes and walked away from him to their privy chamber.

Eist jumped out of bed then, following her before she could shut the door.

“Eist, please.” Calanthe said as she turned to him. “I have to make a bowel movement!”

“I’ll turn around.” Eist said.

“No, I understand you are worried, but no.” Calanthe said.

Eist lowered his eyes, sighing to himself. He would not go against her wishes, but the idea of Calanthe being alone right now terrified him.

“Here,” Calanthe said as she stepped aside out of the doorway to the privy chamber. “Search the room if it makes you feel better.”

Eist stepped in and looked around, finding no one inside. “Alright.” Eist reluctantly said as he stepped back out of the privy chamber as she went in and shut the door behind her.

\--

When their breakfast arrived, Calanthe ate quickly and then headed back to their bedchamber to change. Eist did not bother following her this time but he did listen carefully as she changed and found without realizing it at first that he was tense and ready to spring if need be. By the time he finished his breakfast and went into their bedchamber, Calanthe was already dressed with her heavy cloak on, had braided her long hair and wrapped it upward, pinning it out of her way. She was tying her tall fur line boots when he entered.

Eist dressed quickly and soon they made their way to the harbor. The Skelligan’s had worked tirelessly to repair the harbor outside of Kaer Trolde after the accident. While it was not fully repaired yet, it was in fine enough condition for ships to set sail out of again.

The cold wind whipped around them as Eist and Calanthe walked arm in arm, gloved fingers laced together, down to the harbor and up the gangplank of the ship that Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny were to set sail on. While the winds were harsh, the skies were clear and the seas were calm. Eist sighed to himself with relief, their journey should be a calm one. He chuckled when he saw Ciri, bundled up just as she had been when they went down to the beach to look for pearls and mother of pearl for Calanthe’s ring. She looked almost like a little bear with her big fur hat and her fur mittens.

While Calanthe went to Pavetta and Duny, Eist walked to Ciri, sitting down cross legged in front of her.

“You’re not coming with us?” Ciri asked as Eist sat down.

The look in her big eyes broke his heart.

“No little pup, not this time.” Eist said as Ciri sat down in his lap.

“Why not?” Ciri asked, looking up at him and pouting.

“Because Grandmama and I need to stay here.”

Ciri sighed as she hung her head. Eist smiled softly as he reached inside his cape, pulling out the toy he carved for her. “I have something for you.”

Ciri’s eyes widened as she looked at the toy Eist held out for her. “A boat!” Ciri screeched as she reached for it.

“Yes,” Eist said as he handed it to Ciri. “Your very own boat.”

“Now you have to promise to be good, little pup.” Eist said while Ciri attempted to stand as she reached her little arms out to hug him. Her cloak, hat, mittens, and boots made her rather wobbly, causing her to fall as she tried to hug him. Eist quickly reached out and caught her before she tumbled over.

“I will Grandpapa. I promise.”

Eist stood then, picking Ciri up as he did. Calanthe and Pavetta were watching Eist when he looked up as he walked towards them holding Ciri. He smiled at her as he approached and handed Ciri over to her Grandmother.

Eist walked to Pavetta and Duny then. “You’ll write often?” Eist asked as he hugged Pavetta.

“Yes, don’t worry.” Pavetta said as she smirked, nodding towards her mother as she did. “I practically had to swear a blood oath to my mother that I would.”

Eist smirked before nodding as he turned to Duny. “Be careful, will you?”

“Of course.” Duny said as he smiled at Eist and clasped him on the back.

“And you’ll look after them?”

“I promise.”

Eist looked around then, looking for his brother.

“Is Bran here?”

“I’m here, brother.” Bran suddenly said as Eist turned around to see him lugging a large bag hoisted over his back as he huffed, walking up the gangplank.

“What are you carrying?” Eist asked as Bran set the bag down.

“I grabbed as many axes as I could carry.” Bran said as he leaned over, resting his hands just above his knees to catch his breath. “You never know what could happen.”

“Are you joining us Bran?” Pavetta asked as she laughed, walking towards him and putting her hand on his back.

“I am, Princess. I am to escort you to and from Undvick.”

“Is that necessary?” Pavetta asked, looking at Eist.

“I would prefer it.” Eist said gently as Calanthe walked to him, still holding Ciri.

“As would I, Sweetheart.” Calanthe said as she looked at Ciri and covered her face with kisses.

Eist walked close to Bran and pulled him aside as Calanthe continued to hold Ciri. “If anything happens, you’ll get them back to Cintra?”

“I will. There is a drakkar down by the cove, hidden in some brush if you need it.”

Eist looked at Bran questionably.

“If you need to get out of Skellige fast, its big enough for you and the Queen to leave. It’s small, won’t provide any cover from nature, but it will allow you to make a quick exit.”

“Thank you.” Eist said before hugging his brother.

Soon Calanthe was handing Ciri back to Pavetta. Eist quickly walked to her side, putting his arm around her as he noticed tears forming in her eyes. They walked down the gangplank and stayed as the ship sailed away. Eist had to look away for a moment when he saw a tear fall from Ciri’s eyes as she sadly waved from Pavetta’s arms.

On their way back to the castle, Calanthe found the palace courier and handed her letter over to him.

“Ensure this gets to Cintra and into the hands of Vissegerd as soon as possible.” Calanthe said as Eist hovered near her.

They went down to the training yard afterwards where they found Crach already sparing with some new young sailors. They stood on the ramparts for a few moments after they arrived, watching from above as Crach mentored the sailors.

“He is quite the teacher, isn’t he?” Calanthe said as she gently held onto Eist’s arm while they watched.

“He is, he has grown into his role as Jarl quite well.” Eist said proudly as he looked down at his nephew.

“And here I thought he was just a boorish lout all those years ago.” Calanthe said jokingly.

Eist laughed as he leaned down to kiss Calanthe on her temple. “Well, he is that too.”

They stood there for a few more moments until Crach looked up and noticed them.

“Bow, lads!” Crach yelled as he smiled while Eist and Calanthe descended from the stairs to make their way to the training yard below. “Your King and Ard Rhena have arrived!”

“Uncle.” Crach said, bowing to Eist. “Modron.” Crach said, turning to Calanthe as he bowed slightly deeper.

Before Eist could ask how the training was going for the young sailors, Crach spoke instead.

“Modron, are you alright? What can I do?”

“Ah, so you heard?” Calanthe said.

“Of course, Uncle Bran told me.”

Eist walked away to observe the sailors as they continued to spar. Crach saw Calanthe as his surrogate mother. If there was anyone Eist could trust her safety with, it was him.

Most of the sailors were young lads, some of them appearing to be as young as twelve. They moved without coordination yet, and some of them were clearly stronger than others. Crach had his work cut out for him with this lot.

“Of course. I’ll have the lads take a break, Modron. You and the King can have the training yard for as long as you want. Just know that a few spectators may gather to watch.”

“That’s quite alright.” Calanthe said as Eist made his way back to her and put his arm around her.

“Care for a duel, darling?” Calanthe asked, turning to Eist.

Eist looked down at Calanthe to see her smile coyly up at him. He enjoyed sparring with her, as long as he was not the one striking the blows. It allowed him to observe and memorize her form, learning how she would defend herself if she was attacked. It also allowed him to see her weaknesses so he could help her improve upon them, and if need be, know exactly how to defend her in battle if it came to it.

“Wooden swords only.” Eist said as he bent down and pecked her on the lips.

“Fine.” Calanthe said. Eist smirked as she rolled her eyes and then turned, heading for an empty barrel full of wooden swords.

“Alright, lads!” Crach shouted as he walked back towards his trainee’s. “Let’s take a break for a little while.”

Eist glanced up as he picked up two wooden swords to see the young soldiers head inside to a nearby fire hall to warm themselves and grab a drink. When he turned back to Calanthe his breath caught in his throat. Calanthe had pulled off her cloak and tossed it to the side. She was wearing a black leather doublet that was cut low in the front and buckled at the side. She wore one of his linen shirts underneath which she had only partially tied at the top that billowed out at the sleeves. She wore leather pants that fit her perfectly and were tucked into her fur lined boots that went just below her knees. He hadn’t seen her dressed in anything like this before and he was thoroughly enjoying it.

Eist pulled off his cape and tossed it over Calanthe’s. He flipped one of the wooden swords in the air, holding the wooden blade as he handed it to Calanthe.

“Can you turn around, my love?” Eist asked as he walked slowly towards Calanthe while she took the sword from him.

“Why” Calanthe asked, narrowing her eyes as she did.

“Because I would like to see if you look as good from behind as you do from the front.” Eist said as he smirked at his wife.

Calanthe rolled her eyes at him again as she took a step closer, standing on her toes to hover her lips below his. Eist leaned down to press his lips to hers, but before he could Calanthe smirked and asked, “First strike to the body wins?”

Eist nodded in agreement just before leaning down and placing a searing kiss on her lips.

Calanthe smiled into his kiss, but only for a moment as she raised her sword and swung overhead at him. Eist quickly blocked the blow, bringing his sword up and holding it firm as hers crashed against it. Calanthe pulled back and quickly swung her sword across her, aiming downward towards Eist’s legs. He snapped his arm downward quickly, easily blocking her strike.

They continued to spar as sweat began to form on Eist’s brow. He took a few swings at Calanthe, but he mostly stuck to just blocking her blows. Even with wooden swords, swinging at Calanthe made him feel uncomfortable. Calanthe pulled herself back then, spinning as she swung her sword at his side. Eist pulled his sword up and blocked her blow and quickly reached for her arm, holding her so her back was facing him as her head turned over her shoulder to look at him.

Eist took the moment to look down, admiring how well her leather pants fit her buttocks. “In case you were wondering,” Eist said just as Calanthe pulled away from him, bringing her sword in front of her in both hands as she did. “You do look as good from behind as you do from the front.”

The group of young sailors that had been outside when they arrived were now gathering by the large window with Crach in the fire hall, watching them as they sipped their beers.

“Are you flirting with me, Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe asked as she lunged at him, thrusting her sword towards Eist’s stomach.

“Always.” Eist responded as he blocked her blow.

They both pulled back then and swung their swords at each other’s chests, both stopping seconds before they hit each other. They stood there for a moment, holding their swords as they both took steady breaths. Their gazes were heated from the adrenaline of fighting for a moment, but then quickly turned soft as they began to smirk at each other. Eist dropped his sword a moment before Calanthe did. He walked to her quickly and put his arm around her neck, pulling her into him to kiss her. His tongue found hers as he lost himself in her until he began to hear whistling and cheering coming from the fire hall.

When he pulled away Calanthe looked irritated for a moment, but her gaze softened quickly.

“I win.” She declared playfully as she gently tapped the side of his calf with her sword.

“You always do.” Eist said as he pulled her into him again.

\--

Eist tensed as a letter arrived for Calanthe the next day over breakfast. They ate in the banquet hall that morning with Crach and Mousesack as additional guards lined the banquet hall perimeter. She took the letter, glancing over the handwriting on the front.

“It’s from Pavetta.” Calanthe said as she quickly opened it. Eist rested his hand on her thigh as she began to read.

“Did they arrive safely to Undvick?” Eist asked as she read.

“Yes.” Calanthe said as her eyes skimmed the last of the letter. “Apparently Ciri already misses us, and she is showing the toy boat you made for her to everyone she meets.”

Eist smiled for a moment at that, glad that his Granddaughter liked her toy as much as she did.

“The new year will be here in a few days.” Mousesack said as he took a bite of his hard-boiled egg.

“Yes, I almost forgot about that.” Eist said as he leaned back in his seat. He was finished with his breakfast and patiently waiting for Calanthe to finish hers as he lightly rubbed his hand up and down her thigh, hidden by the tablecloth.

“We were going to have a feast but with everything going on, I had it canceled.” Crach said. “We don’t need another reason for strangers to be lurking around Kaer Trolde as of late.”

“Right you are.” Eist said as he glanced over at Calanthe, squeezing her thigh gently.

“Have you heard from Vissegerd yet?” Mousesack asked.

“No, and I don’t expect to for a few days’ time.” Calanthe said as she finished her toast. “Who knows how many people he has to speak to or how long it will take to extract any information from them.”

\--

Eist and Calanthe spent the next few days together, not leaving each other’s side until they were in their chambers. They took turns sparring and throwing axes every day. Calanthe had asked Eist more than once to take her to the hot springs. He was resistant, knowing how open the space was around the springs and how easy it would be for someone to sneak up on them through the forest that was nearby. Eist eventually gave in though, seeing how quickly his wife was developing cabin fever with being secluded to the castle in Kaer Trolde.

The steam rose from the crystal blue waters as Calanthe pulled off her cloak and velvet dress, left only in one of Eist’s own linen shirts. He smiled as she lowered herself in the water, watching as his linen shirt clung to her, becoming sheer from being saturated. Eist sat on the edge of the hot springs where they entered, putting only his feet in the water.

“Darling, please join me.” Calanthe asked as she glided her way through the water.

“I’m fine, my love. You enjoy yourself. I’ll just wait here.” Eist glanced around then, quickly searching their surroundings for any sign of movement.

“Eist, I command it. Get in the bloody water and join me.”

“Calanthe, please I would rather…”

Eist felt his mouth fall open and his eyes go wide as Calanthe lifted his linen shirt off of her and tossed it to the edge of the pool. Her body glistened in the light as she made her way towards him, slowly rising out of the water till she was in front of him.

“I said, get in the water.” Calanthe reached for Eist’s hands that he had had rested on either side of him, bracing him as he leaned over the water.

With a splash Eist was in the water, quickly wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him.

“This is not a private hot spring.” Eist said urgently as Calanthe began to kiss up his jaw.

“No one else is here.” Calanthe purred as she made her way up his jaw and across his cheek to his lips.

Eist wanted to resist her, wanted to pull away and go take up his seat at the edge of the spring while she swam. This was to easy an opportunity for something to happen to her. When her lips found his, she reached down and quickly found the hem of his linen shirt and leaned back to pull it off of him.

“You want to do this now?” Eist asked huskily as he leaned down and flicked his tongue against her lip.

He was a fool to attempt to resist her. He had not been able to since they wed, and he would not do so now. Calanthe grazed her hand against the hard bulge in his pants under the water and he felt as though he had been lit on fire.

“And you don’t?” Calanthe asked playfully as she began to pull down his pants.

Soon they were enjoying each other in the water as they glided through it. Their gasps and moans filled the chilled air around them, their breath adding to the steam rising from the hot springs. When they finished, Eist held Calanthe close as she kept her legs wrapped tight around his waist while he held her in the water.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered into Eist’s ear as she placed a soft kiss on his jaw.

“I love you too.” Eist whispered back.

They stayed in the water for a few moments as they caught their breath while Eist slowly walked them back towards the entrance to the spring.

“Can’t we stay here a little while longer?” Calanthe asked as Eist slowly made his way out of the spring with Calanthe’s legs still wrapped around his waist.

“We can come back another time.” Eist said as he sat her on the edge of the spring.

“Please Eist.” Calanthe said as his eyes met hers. “I don’t want to go back, not yet.”

Eist was still locked in place as Calanthe kept her legs wrapped around him. He looked into her eyes as she pleaded with him to keep her at the springs for longer. He could see her skin begin to prickle as a gust of cold air blew by.

“Alright.” He said as he wrapped his arms around her again while he drifted backwards into the spring. “If we’re going to stay longer, I need to at least make sure your warm.”

When they were shoulder deep in the water Eist stopped and for a long time he stood there, with Calanthe’s legs wrapped tightly around him while Eist stroked her back. Eventually before they went back, Eist was persuaded to swim with Calanthe for a little while. He would steal glances every few moments around the perimeter of the springs, still on edge, still searching for any sign of a threat.

Later that night when they climbed into bed, Calanthe took him in her mouth as he pleased her with his tongue while they laid opposite of each other on the bed. Eist drove her over the edge multiple times, relishing in the moans and gasps he brought out of her. Calanthe took her time with him, eventually finishing him by pulling him so far into her mouth that she choked.

Afterward, Eist leaned against the pillows as Calanthe crawled up from the opposite end of the bed to find her familiar place to sleep.

“Are you tired yet?” She whispered lazily as Eist spread his legs, allowing Calanthe to lay up the middle of him.

Eist responded with a yawn before nodding as he turned towards her, pressing his jaw against her forehead. He was tired, and he did want to sleep, but he couldn’t. Every sound, every shadow, and every thought of his wife being harmed kept him awake at night and if he was lucky enough to fall asleep at all, woke him back up. Calanthe began to run her hand through his hair just like he liked. Eist closed his eyes, giving in and knowing full well she was trying to put him to sleep.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered as she pressed her nails gently into his scalp and smiling when Eist let out a soft groan in return.

“I love you too.” Eist whispered as he turned his head to press a kiss to her forehead before falling asleep.

The fire was still going strong when Eist woke. He glanced down, not knowing how long he had been asleep for, to find Calanthe fast asleep with her head resting on his shoulder. Eist opened his eyes wide and blinked heavily as he got his bearings. He sat up slightly, holding onto Calanthe has he did. The shadows that danced on the walls from the fire did nothing to ease the racing thoughts in Eist’s mind, but he knew the room would become too cold if he put it out. For a few moments Eist closed his eyes but then quickly opened them again, deciding he would rather be tormented by shadows than not see at all.

He began stroking his fingers up and down Calanthe’s back. It was something he did without thinking now. It had become second nature to him.

\--

Hours passed and finally as light began to barely peak through the window covers, Eist became so exhausted that his eyes closed without his permission. Eist was not asleep for long however when the sound of a ship docking in the harbor woke him. He groaned softly out of frustration as he glanced around the room. Their fire was barely flickering now which eased the shadows on the walls. Eist sighed as he absentmindedly began to rub his wife’s back again.

A few more hours passed and then Calanthe was stirring against him, sighing softly as she opened her eyes. She frowned slightly at him as he offered her a soft smile and turned his head slightly to kiss her.

“Darling, didn’t you sleep?” Calanthe asked as she raised herself up to meet his eyeline.

“For a little.” Eist said sleepily.

Calanthe’s expression changed then. She looked worried for him, lines forming on her forehead as her face tensed.

“I’m fine, my love.” Eist whispered.

He was not fine and did not enjoy lying to his wife about it, but in that moment, he would say anything to ease the worried look on her face.

\--

They celebrated the new year alone by spending the day in their chambers. While most of the day was spent in bed and only getting up to eat, Eist could tell that Calanthe was beginning to worry about him more and more.

“I’m fine, my love.” Eist continued to whisper in the mornings when she would wake in his arms.

The Skelligan guards had been doubled around the castle. Crach sealed off all entry to the castle, forbidding anyone that was not on official business from entering. Eist still did not relent on his wish for Calanthe to not walk the halls of Kaer Trolde without him, so they spent their time together, not being parted unless Calanthe was with Crach.

A week later the couple retired to their sitting room after eating their evening meal with Mousesack and Crach. Eist felt as though he would collapse at any moment. His eyes were painfully heavy, and his head was pounding from exhaustion. When he looked in the looking glass earlier before going down to eat, he saw that his hair and skin were ragged. He had wet his hands and ran them through his hair, trying to make it look a little more presentable. He looked as bad as he felt, and he gave trying to make himself look better after a few moments. Eist sat on their couch and blinked heavily as Calanthe paced in their sitting room.

“You need to sleep!” Calanthe pleaded after a few moments.

“That’s easier said than done right now.” Eist responded weakly, barely having the energy to even say the words.

“Why? Why can’t you sleep?” Calanthe said as she paced in front of their fireplace.

“You know why!” Eist bellowed.

Eist felt himself become sick to his stomach when Calanthe tensed for a moment, her eyes going wide. He had never screamed at her before, not like this. He had lost his temper for a moment and had not meant to.

“Are you afraid the pelican is going to return?” Calanthe asked, crossing the room to him. “Don’t you ever raise your voice at me like that again.” Calanthe said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I am your wife and I don’t deserve that.”

Eist sighed as Calanthe stormed towards their door.

“Where are you going?” Eist asked as he lifted his head, feeling disgusted with himself.

“To find Mousesack.” Calanthe muttered as she whipped the door open.

“Why?” Eist asked as he stood, stumbling after her.

“To see if he can give you something to bloody sleep!” Calanthe snapped as Eist followed her down the hall.

Eist noticed that their guards were gone, and the corridor was dark, but he could barely focus on that as he sprinted after Calanthe. He was so exhausted that focusing on anything was difficult right now.

“I don’t want anything to help me sleep.” Eist groaned as he caught up with her.

“Why not?” Calanthe huffed as she stopped walking.

“Because,” Eist said, running his hands through his hair, sighing as he did. “I’m worried that someone will attempt to hurt you if I do. It would only take a moment for anything could happ…”

Calanthe gently kissed Eist then, calming him. He looked down then at Calanthe, only able to make her out by the light of the moon in the dark corridor. Her face softened then as she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him.

“I hate that you worry the way you do.” She whispered against his chest.

“I know.” Eist whispered into her hair.

“How do I stop it?”

“Stop what?”

“Stop you from worrying so much. You are going to make yourself sick.”

“Just be with me.” Eist whispered. “Just be with me and don’t leave my side until this is over.”

Calanthe sighed into him.

“And when this is over, I can stay here, and you can sail back to Cintra if you need some time away from me.” Eist whispered, only half joking.

“Why would I want to be away from you?”

The sincerity in her question and the confused look on her face made him smile.

“You’re not sick of me hovering over you?”

“No.” Calanthe said as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “I am sick of you not sleeping and constantly looking as though your about to fall over.” She leaned up and kissed him again before saying, “But that doesn’t mean I want to be away from you.”

Eist smiled. Just as he leaned down to kiss Calanthe, he saw a shadow move out of the corner of his eye.

“Did you see that?” Eist asked, snapping his head up and looking to his left where he saw the shadow.

“See what?” Calanthe said, turning her gaze to where his fell.

After a moment, Eist felt Calanthe lean back and pat Eist’s chest. “This is what happens when you don’t sleep. You start to see things.”

Everything fell into place as Eist looked around.

“We need to get back to our chambers.” Eist whispered. “Didn’t you notice that all the torches are out?” Eist said as he began to quickly walk with Calanthe still wrapped in his arms.

He felt Calanthe tense against him as they made their way back to their room.

“Where are the guards?” Calanthe whispered.

Eist looked up, glancing over the top of Calanthe’s head that was pressed against him. For a second he saw a shadow move again and then suddenly a figure was there, holding a blade. Eist recognized the figures’ face. He was one of the young men that had been in the training yard. Eist turned, moving Calanthe with him and pushed her out of the way, turning his back as the figure sprinted at them with alarming speed. A searing hot pain rippled through Eist as the blade was plunged into his back, causing him to stagger forward, screaming as the blade was ripped out of him.

Eist had never heard a scream as painful as Calanthe’s as she ran out of his vision. Eist turned as he fell to his knees, twisting as he saw Calanthe slam the young man into the wall, pinning his arms to his side as he tried to swing at her with the blade. She head butted him them, causing the young man to drop the dagger to the floor. Calanthe dove at it and turned as she rose, plunging it into his gut. Eist blinked as the saw the young man’s eyes close forever.

“Eist!” His name was a scream on her lips as he fell backwards.

The stone floor was against his back then. He could feel his eyes grow heavy as Calanthe took her face in his hands as she began to wail.

“Calan…” He tried to say her name, but he couldn’t before he slipped into darkness.

\--

_“I love you.” Calanthe’s words made the corners of his mouth turn upwards as she spoke them. He smiled fully when she kissed the tip of his nose._

_“I love you.” She whispered the words again, this time kissing the bridge of his nose._

_“I love you.” She spoke the words in between kisses, not stopping until she covered his entire face._

_\--_

_“Come here, Ciri.” Eist said as he waved his hands, trying to get his infant granddaughters’ attention._

_He smiled as Calanthe lifted Ciri off of her tummy that she had just fallen onto, placing her hands on the floor and bending her knees, coaxing her to crawl. Calanthe placed her down again just as she whispered, “Go on little cub.”_

_Eist smiled widely as Ciri giggled madly while she quickly crawled to him, only to fall over just before she reached his arms._

_Eist laughed as he stood, picking her up and walking her back over to Calanthe._

_\--_

_“I’m glad you were the one to marry my mother.” Pavetta said as she sat down beside Eist at the banquet table._

_“And why is that, Princess?” Eist asked._

_“You’re kind to her. I’ve seen so many men over the years who obsessed over what they could gain from her. You’re the first man I’ve seen that sees her for who she is, and not just the crown on her head.”_

_Eist smiled to himself. “She is a remarkable woman, your mother.”_

_“I wouldn’t go that far.” Pavetta said jokingly. “And you don’t have to call me Princess you know.”_

_\--_

“Will he survive?”

Eist could feel himself being pulled out of his dreams, out of his memories at the sound of his wife’s voice.

“He was stabbed in the back by a blade laced with poison. Your Majesty, you must prepare yourself in case the worst happens. I will stay here for the night in case he wakes, as will Crach.”

He tried to open his eyes, but Eist found that he was too weak to move. He tried to speak then, but the words didn’t come. It was then that Eist realized that Calanthe’s hand was wrapped around his, her rose ring pressing softly against his finger. Eist used every ounce of strength he had in him to squeeze Calanthe’s hand lightly before falling back into his dreams.

\--

Eist’s eyes snapped open as he lurched upward. Vomit spilled from his mouth as he felt himself begin to fall and then suddenly Calanthe was reaching for him, her arm draping over his shoulder while her other hand held his again, holding on tight.

“I’ve got you.”

Her words were soft and hard at the same time, offering him comfort and reassurance simultaneously.

Eist was then leaning over the bed, his forehead pressed against Calanthe’s shoulder as he vomited again. Eist opened his eyes, seeing that he had vomited on her. He tried to pull himself away from her, but he didn’t have the strength to do it.

Mousesack was there then, talking to Calanthe. Eist tried to focus on their words, on what they were saying but he couldn’t. He rested against her for a minute and then began to shake slightly as he started to dry heave. Calanthe’s hands stroked up and down his back, causing him to press further into her. Her touch felt wonderful and soothing, offering a brief distraction to the immense pain he felt in his back and stomach.

Eist mustered his strength and reached up, putting his arms around her waist as he clutched her.

“Darling?”

Calanthe’s voice was soft and sweet as she placed her hand under his chin and angled him to look up at her. Eist tried to speak again but couldn’t. Instead he lost consciousness as he slumped over and collapsed into her arms.


	18. Chapter 9B - Calanthe

**Chapter 9B – Calanthe**

**Years – 1255/1256**

The feeling of Eist’s arms around her had become almost necessary for Calanthe to sleep. She remembered a time when sleeping alone was a welcome notion and she relished in having the bed all to herself. Things had become different with Eist though over the years. The feeling of his arms around her was something she rather enjoyed and looked forward to. She much preferred his chest and shoulder for her head to rest on over any pillow, allowing her to listen to his soothing heartbeat as she drifted off to sleep.

Calanthe was only half asleep when she felt herself lying against the mattress of their bed instead of Eist’s chest. The sheets felt cold as she reached out, feeling for her husband who she searched for with her outstretched hand, hoping to find him so she could quickly curl against him.

When she did not find him beside her, Calanthe rose sleepily as she barely opened her eyes, scanning the room for Eist. She shivered for a moment, only noticing just how cold it was in the room as the smell of a fire starting filled the air.

“I’m here, my love.” Eist whispered softly. Calanthe gave him a soft smile in return as she watched him quickly approach the bed and pick up the blankets that were on the floor, tossing them back onto the bed along with his robe. “Gods, it’s cold.” Eist said as he lifted the covers and quickly climbed in.

Calanthe waited for him to make himself comfortable and open his arms, signaling her to make her way back to him. She curled against him quickly as she closed the space in between them.

“I think I may need to warm you up.” Calanthe whispered as she pulled the covers up over them.

Eist’s heartbeat was soft in her ear as she pressed herself against his chest. She draped her leg over his as Eist began to trace his fingertips up and down her back. Calanthe loved that feeling. It had the power to lull her to sleep or to make her want to pin Eist to the bed and climb on top of him. She hummed softly as her eyes closed while she settled against him. Their bedchamber quickly warmed from the fire that Eist had started, relaxing her further. Soon Calanthe fell asleep from the soothing sound of Eist’s heartbeat, the warmth of the crackling fire, and the touch of Eist’s fingertips as they traced their familiar path up and down her back.

\--

“It’s time to get up.” Eist said as he rubbed her shoulders, coaxing her awake.

Calanthe frowned softly as her eyes fluttered open. She did not want to get up and instead was more than content to stay exactly where she was for the rest of the day. As Calanthe began to wake, she remembered that Pavetta and Ciri were set to leave in a few hours. The thought pained her. Calanthe could not bear to be parted from Pavetta or Ciri and given recent events, she would rather have them near her so she knew they were safe.

“Pavetta and Ciri leave today.” Calanthe whispered.

“I know.” Eist whispered back as he moved his hand to stroke her back one last time that morning. “They will be safe. Bran will see to that, I promise.”

Calanthe lifted herself off Eist after a few moments to stand and stretch. “I want to go down to the training yard later today.” She said as she stretched her arms high over her head, lacing her fingers together as she stretched out her back.

“Whatever you want.” Eist said from behind her.

She turned after she lowered her arms to see Eist sitting up in bed, his hands behind his head with the covers barely covering his lap. He wore a crooked smile on his face as he watched her, looking rather content as he did.

“Are you going to get up or just lay there and stare at me all day?”

“Is that an option? Because if it is, I’ll take it.” Eist said smirking.

Calanthe walked around the bed towards their privy chamber, rolling her eyes as she went, causing Eist to chuckle. Just as she opened the door, Eist was there, standing in the doorway with her, blocking her entry.

“Eist, please.” Calanthe said as she turned to him as irritation ran through her. “I have to make a bowel movement!”

“I’ll turn around.”

“No, I understand you are worried, but no.” Calanthe said, resisting the urge to smack the back of his head as she did.

Eist lowered his eyes and in an instant, she could tell how worried he still was for her. “Here,” Calanthe said as she stepped aside out of the doorway to the privy chamber. “Search the room if it makes you feel better.”

She waited for him as he quickly searched the privy, finding no one inside. “Alright.” Eist said as he walked out as Calanthe walked past him, shutting the door behind her.

\--

Calanthe ate quickly that morning, not having much of an appetite due to her growing anxiety at being parted from Pavetta and Ciri. She left Eist in the sitting room to head to their bedchamber to change, wanting to get away from the smell of their food that was making her nauseous. It also gave her the opportunity to change into an outfit that Eist had not seen her in yet and it was one that she thought he would enjoy.

She went to one of the dressers in their room and pulled out a leather doublet and pair of leather pants she had had made the last time she was in Skellige but never got the opportunity to wear. Calanthe then walked to one of Eist’s dressers and pulled out one of his linen shirts. She threw it on quickly, not bothering to lace it up the whole way. Calanthe then made quick work of her doublet as she quickly buckled it and pulled on her leather pants. She looked in the looking glass then, not sure of what she expected to see. Calanthe however was pleased with what she saw. This was far from the dresses and gowns she typically wore and rather liked the way it looked.

She quickly braided her hair then, twisting the braid up and pinning it to keep it out of her way. She pulled on her heavy travel cloak as she heard the clanging from Eist putting his plate on the food cart that was brought to them, knowing he would soon enter their bedchamber. She tied the cloak high around her neck and began to pull on her leather fur lined boots just as he entered, angling away from him so he would not be able to see the leather pants she was wearing yet.

The air was freezing as they made their way down to the harbor. Calanthe was glad that her cloak tied as high as it did on her neck and was weighted the way it was from the heavy fur that lined it. She and Eist walked arm in arm with Eist lacing his gloved fingers with hers as he gently rubbed her hand with his thumb. They made their way up the gangplank to see Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny waiting for them.

Calanthe smiled softly as she made her way to Pavetta and Duny as she watched Eist go to Ciri and sit with her. While Calanthe and Eist were both close with their granddaughter, they also had different relationships with her. While Calanthe was the ever-present Lioness, ready to protect her cub at all costs, Eist was the fun loving one, the one who took Ciri on her little adventures that she loved to talk about so much. Eist would be just as devastated while Ciri was away as she would be.

“You’ll be careful, won’t you?” Calanthe asked as she went to Pavetta, pulling her close and hugging her.

“I will, I promise.” Pavetta said back as Calanthe held her tight.

“And you’ll write when you get there?”

“Of course.” Pavetta said, smiling softly and shaking her head. “You worry too much, Mother.”

Calanthe turned her eyes to Duny then and offered him a soft smile. “You be careful too. I’m depending on you to keep them safe.” Calanthe said as she motioned towards Pavetta and then Ciri.

“Don’t worry, you know I will look after them.” Duny said as he softly smiled back at Calanthe.

Calanthe dropped her eyes, just for a moment before turning back to Pavetta, “Just please look after yourself, and don’t let Ciri out of your sight.”

They both turned their gaze to Ciri and Eist then as he pulled out the toy boat he made for her.

“Did he buy her another toy?” Pavetta asked, sighing as she did.

“Technically no.” Calanthe said as she glanced at Pavetta, whose eyes quickly flicked back to meet hers. “He made her a toy.”

“He spoils her.” Pavetta said smiling as she shook her head.

“Yes, he does. And good luck trying to stop him.” Calanthe said as she smiled while she watched her husband catch Ciri after she almost fell while she tried to hug him.

“It continues to amaze me how good he is with her.” Pavetta said, smiling over towards Eist and Ciri.

“I know, especially for one who claims to be intolerable of children.”

“What about you?” Pavetta asked after a pause.

Calanthe looked at Pavetta, raising her eyebrows.

“Are you still trying?”

“Yes. Still trying and failing.” Calanthe said, looking down at her feet for a moment.

“I am sorry Mother; I know how badly you want another child.”

Calanthe turned back to Pavetta for a moment as tears filled her eyes. She just as quickly blinked them away as she saw Eist stand up out of the corner of her eye.

“Just please promise you’ll write as often as you can, so I know you’re okay.”

“I will Mother. I promise.” Pavetta whispered.

They both turned back to Eist then as he approached, carrying Ciri as he did. Calanthe opened her arms as Eist handed Ciri over.

“Are you warm enough, Sweetheart?” Calanthe asked as she pressed Ciri to her, holding her close.

“Yes, Grandmama.”

Calanthe walked away as she held Ciri, whispering to her as she did. “You promise to be good for your Mother and Father?” Ciri nodded, looking up at Calanthe with big eyes. Calanthe kissed Ciri on the forehead, just under where her bulky fur hat ended. “I’m going to miss you little cub.”

Ciri didn’t respond but instead snuggled further into Calanthe’s arms, pressing herself even tighter against her grandmother. Calanthe turned then towards where Eist was, noticing Bran’s voice for the first time.

“Are you joining us Bran?” Pavetta asked as she laughed, walking towards him and putting her hand on his back.

“I am, Princess. I am to escort you to and from Undvick.”

“Is that necessary?” Pavetta asked, looking at Eist.

“I would prefer it.” Eist said gently as Calanthe walked to him, still holding Ciri.

“As would I, Sweetheart.” Calanthe said as she looked down at Ciri in her arms.

Ciri smiled sweetly up at her grandmother, making Calanthe’s heart melt. Calanthe leaned down, covering her granddaughters face with kisses as she did.

Calanthe held onto Ciri tight for a few more moments, humming to her softly. It felt all to soon as Calanthe handed her back to Pavetta. Calanthe quickly felt tears sting her eyes and then Eist was there, putting his arm around her waist. They walked down the gangplank together and stayed to watch as they sailed away. Calanthe stared intently at Ciri, feeling tears form in her eyes while a tear fell from Ciri’s as she sadly waved from Pavetta’s arms.

On their way back to the castle, Calanthe found the palace courier and handed her letter over to him.

“Ensure this gets to Cintra and into the hands of Vissegerd as soon as possible.” Calanthe said as Eist hovered near her.

They went down to the training yard afterwards where they found Crach already sparring with some new young sailors. They stood on the ramparts for a few moments after they arrived, watching from above as Crach mentored the sailors.

“He is quite the teacher, isn’t he?” Calanthe said as she gently held onto Eist’s arm while they watched.

“He is, he has grown into his role as Jarl quite well.”

“And here I thought he was just a boorish lout all those years ago.” Calanthe joked.

Eist laughed as he kissed Calanthe on her temple. “Well, he is that too.”

They stood there for a few more moments until Crach looked up and noticed them.

“Bow, lads!” Crach yelled while Eist and Calanthe descended from the stairs to make their way to the training yard below. “Your King and Ard Rhena have arrived!”

“Uncle.” Crach said, bowing to Eist. “Modron.” Crach said, turning to Calanthe as he bowed slightly deeper.

“Modron, are you alright? What can I do?”

“Ah, so you heard?” Calanthe asked.

“Of course, Uncle Bran told me.”

“Uncle Bran should have not said anything about it.” Calanthe said as irritation ran through her for the second time that day.

“He’s only worried is all. He’s worried for you and Uncle Eist. Uncle Bran knows that the King would be devastated if harm were to come to you. Not to mention he would strangle everyone on the Continent with his bare hands if anything happened to you.”

Calanthe chuckled slightly, knowing just how true Crach’s statement was. “Can the King and I use the training yard for a bit?”

“Of course. I’ll have the lads take a break, Modron. You and the King can have the training yard for as long as you want. Just know that a few spectators may gather to watch.”

“That’s quite alright.” Calanthe said as Eist put his arm around her again.

“Care for a duel, darling?” Calanthe asked, turning to Eist.

“Wooden swords only.” Eist said as he bent down and pecked her on the lips.

“Fine.” Calanthe huffed as she rolled her eyes at her husband.

Eist walked towards a barrel of wooden swords as Calanthe turned, untying her robe as she did.

“Alright, lads!” Crach shouted as he walked back towards his trainee’s. “Let’s take a break for a little while.”

After Calanthe tossed her robe to the side, she turned around as Eist picked up two wooden swords. She had forgotten about what she was wearing so for a moment when Eist turned around and gaped at her, she was unsure as to why. She remembered then and was pleased at the rather large lopsided smile it was bringing to his face.

Eist pulled off his cape and tossed it over Calanthe’s. He flipped one of the wooden swords in the air so he held it by its wooden blade.

“Can you turn around, my love?” Eist asked as he slowly walked towards her, offering her the wooden sword.

“Why” Calanthe asked, narrowing her eyes as she gripped the sword by its hilt.

“Because I would like to see if you look as good from behind as you do in the front.” Eist said as he smirked at his wife.

Calanthe rolled her eyes again as she took a step closer to him, standing up on the tips of her toes to hover her lips below his as he bent down towards her. “First strike to the body wins?” She asked as she smirked.

Eist nodded in agreement just before leaning down and placing a searing kiss on her lips. Calanthe smiled into his kiss briefly before pulling away and raising her sword over her head, only to swiftly bring it down. Eist quickly blocked the blow, bringing his sword up and holding it firm as hers crashed against it. Calanthe pulled back and quickly swung her sword across her, aiming downward towards Eist’s legs. He snapped his arm downward quickly, blocking her strike.

They continued to spar as sweat began to form on Calanthe’s brow. Over the years Eist had learned her form, learned where she preferred to strike. It was good, it kept her on her toes, kept her constantly thinking one step ahead with her form instead of becoming predictable. Eist took several swings at her, but they were half-hearted. She had accepted a long time ago that Eist would not strike her the way she wished when they sparred. It had caused a rift between them at first, but Calanthe eventually grew to except it.

Calanthe pulled herself back, spinning as she swung her sword at his side. Eist pulled his sword up and blocked her blow and quickly reached for her arm, holding her so her back was facing him as she turned her head over her shoulder to look at him.

She rolled her eyes as she saw Eist’s gaze skim her body, ending at her buttocks.

“In case you were wondering,” Eist said just as Calanthe pulled away from him, bringing her sword in front of her in both hands. “You do look as good from behind as you do from the front.”

The group of young soldiers that had been outside when they arrived were now gathering by the large window with Crach in the fire hall, watching them as they sipped their beers.

“Are you flirting with me, Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe asked as she lunged at him, thrusting her sword towards Eist’s stomach.

“Always.” Eist responded as he blocked her blow.

They both pulled back then and swung their swords at each other’s chests, both stopping seconds before they hit each other. They stood there for a moment, holding their swords as they both took steady breaths. Their gazes were heated from the adrenaline of fighting for a moment, but then quickly turned soft as they began to smirk at each other. Eist dropped his sword a moment before Calanthe did. He walked to her quickly and put his arm around her neck, pulling her into him to kiss her. She moaned softly into his mouth as his tongue flicked over hers, forgetting where she was until she began to hear whistling and cheering coming from the fire hall.

Eist pulled away, looking down at her with caution in his eyes. He knew she would rather not partake in such public displays of affection. Those ocean blue eyes of his though always managed to melt her heart.

“I win.” She declared playfully as she gently tapped the side of his calf with her sword.

“You always do.” Eist said as he pulled her into him again.

\--

The next day was grey and cold when a letter arrived for Calanthe over breakfast. They ate in the banquet hall that morning with Crach and Mousesack as additional guards lined the banquet hall perimeter. She took the letter, glancing over the handwriting on the front.

“It’s from Pavetta.” Calanthe said as she opened it quickly while Eist rested his hand on its usual spot on her thigh.

“Did they arrive safely to Undvick?” Eist asked as he gently rubbed his hand up and down her thigh while she read.

“Yes.” Calanthe said as her eyes skimmed the last of the letter, smiling at the last sentence Pavetta wrote. “Apparently Ciri already misses us, and she is showing the toy boat you made for her to everyone she meets.”

“The new year will be here in a few days.” Mousesack said as he took a bite of his hard-boiled egg.

“Yes, I almost forgot about that.” Eist said as he leaned back in his seat.

Calanthe could feel her appetite coming back to her as the tension from worrying about Pavetta and Ciri traveling to Undvick disappeared. She picked up a piece of toast then, spreading it with blueberry jam while Eist gently rubbed her thigh under the tablecloth.

“We were going to have a feast but with everything going on, I had it canceled.” Crach said. “We don’t need another reason for strangers to be lurking around Kaer Trolde as of late.”

Calanthe felt Eist squeeze her thigh at that.

“Have you heard from Vissegerd yet?” Mousesack asked.

“No, and I don’t expect to for a few days’ time.” Calanthe said as she finished her toast. “Who knows how many people he has to speak to or how long it will take to extract any information from them.”

\--

Eist and Calanthe spent the next few days together, not leaving each other’s side until they were in their chambers. They took turns sparring and throwing axes every day.

“Darling, please join me.” Calanthe asked as she glided her way through the water, pleased that Eist had finally agreed to take her to the local hot springs.

Steam rose steadily off the surface of the water as Calanthe sighed, feeling the warm water relax her as she drifted around the springs. She closed her eyes for a moment to take a deep breath, dipped herself under the water, and then lifted herself out as she began to blink the water out of her eyes. Calanthe turned to find Eist where she left him, sitting on the edge of the springs where she had entered with his bare feet dangling in the water.

“I’m fine, my love. You enjoy yourself. I’ll just wait here.” His smile faded then as he quickly glanced around.

Calanthe sighed to herself. Eist’s eyes were blue with lack of sleep and heavy with worry for her. She had been hoping that he would swim with her and that maybe he would tire himself out enough to fall asleep for more than an hour or two tonight.

“Eist, I command it. Get in the bloody water and join me.”

“Calanthe, please I would rather…”

Calanthe had had enough. She was wearing one of Eist’s linen shirts to swim in that he favored her in so much. She reached down in the water, pulling the shirt over her head and flung it to the edge of the pool. Eist’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open slightly as he stared at her. She smiled to herself, fully aware of how she had captured his attention as she made her way towards him until she was standing in front of him, naked, with the water to her knees.

“I said, get in the water.” Calanthe reached for Eist’s hands that he had had rested on either side of him, bracing him as he leaned over the water.

With a splash Eist was in the water, quickly wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him.

“This is not a private hot spring.” Eist said urgently as Calanthe began to kiss up his jaw.

“No one else is here.” Calanthe purred as she made her way up his jaw and across his cheek to find his lips.

When her lips found his, she reached down and quickly found the hem of his linen shirt and leaned back to pull it off of him.

“You want to do this now?” Eist asked huskily as he leaned down and flicked his tongue against her lip.

Calanthe grazed her hand against the hard bulge in his pants under the water, smirking into his kiss.

“And you don’t?” Calanthe asked playfully as she began to pull down his pants.

Soon they were enjoying each other in the water as they glided through it. Their gasps and moans filled the chilled air around them, their breath adding to the steam rising from the hot springs. Calanthe clung to Eist when they finished together, her legs wrapped tight around his waist as he held her in the water.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered into Eist’s ear as she placed a soft kiss on his jaw.

“I love you too.” Eist whispered back.

They stayed in the water for a few moments as they caught their breath while Eist slowly walked them back towards the entrance to the spring.

“Can’t we stay here a little while longer?” Calanthe asked as Eist slowly made his way out of the spring with Calanthe’s legs still wrapped around his waist.

“We can come back another time.” Eist said as he set her on the edge of the spring.

Calanthe sighed heavily, not removing her legs from around his waist as he tried to pull away.

“Please Eist.” Calanthe said as his eyes met hers. “I don’t want to go back, not yet.”

Calanthe could feel her skin begin to prickle against the cold air. Eist was still close to her, still locked in her legs wrapped around his waist.

She smiled softly as she saw him sigh just before he gave into her. “Alright.” He said as he wrapped his arms around her again while he drifted backwards into the spring. “If we’re going to stay longer, I need to at least make sure your warm.”

Calanthe smiled widely as he pulled her back into the water. When they were shoulder deep Eist stopped and for a long time he stood there, with Calanthe’s legs wrapped tightly around him while Eist stroked her back. Eventually before they went back, she persuaded Eist to swim with her for a little while, enjoying the smile that it brought to his face.

Later that night when they climbed into bed, Calanthe took him in her mouth as he pleased her with his tongue while they laid opposite of each other on the bed. Calanthe drew the process out for as long as possible as Eist drove her over the edge multiple times. She held him in her mouth, choking as she pressed him into the back of her throat while he finished.

Afterward, Eist leaned against the pillows as Calanthe crawled up from the opposite end of the bed to find her familiar place to sleep.

“Are you tired yet?” She whispered lazily as Eist spread his legs, allowing Calanthe to lay up the middle of him.

She rested her head against his shoulder, making it easy for her to kiss him.

Eist responded with a yawn before nodding as he turned towards her, pressing his jaw against her forehead. Calanthe smiled as she began to run her hands through his hair as Eist closed his eyes.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered as she pressed her nails gently into his scalp and smiling when Eist let out a soft groan in return.

“I love you too.” Eist whispered as he turned his head to press a kiss to her forehead before falling asleep.

Calanthe laid there for a while and continued to run her hand through his hair. After a few minutes when she was sure he was asleep she allowed herself to drift off with him.

In the morning when she woke, she expected to find Eist still asleep, catching up on his rest. Instead his eyes were as sunken and heavy as ever. Calanthe frowned slightly when Eist turned to her as he offered her a soft smile and turned his head slightly to kiss her.

“Darling, didn’t you sleep?” Calanthe asked as she raised herself up to meet his eyeline.

“For a little.” Eist said sleepily as he began to run his hand up and down her back again.

Her expression must have given her away, causing Eist to follow up quickly with, “I’m fine, my love.”

Calanthe sighed as she pressed herself against his chest again. She knew her husband was anything but fine.

\--

They celebrated the new year alone by spending the day in their chambers. While most of the day was spent in bed and only getting up to eat, Calanthe found herself worrying more and more for Eist due to his clear lack of sleep.

“I’m fine, my love.” Eist continued to whisper in the mornings when she would wake in his arms.

The Skelligan guards had been doubled around the castle. Crach sealed off all entry to the castle, forbidding anyone that was not on official business from entering. Eist still did not relent on his wish for Calanthe to not walk the halls of Kaer Trolde without him, so they spent their time together, not being parted unless Calanthe was with Crach.

Another week went by and finally Calanthe could not take it anymore. Eist was trying very unsuccessfully to convince her that he was fine after they had come up from their evening meal and were in their sitting room. Eist’s eyes were bloodshot and swollen, with a mix of blue and purple now heavy underneath them. His hair looked ragged and dull even though Calanthe had freshly washed it that morning. He was almost lifeless, not having the energy to do much of anything anymore.

“You need to sleep!” Calanthe pleaded in their sitting room.

The worry she felt for Eist was beginning to consume her now, as she suspected Eist’s worry was for her. It was painful and exhausting. What made matters worse for Calanthe was knowing that Eist’s exhaustion was caused by him worrying for her. She felt responsible and did not know what to do for him.

“That’s easier said than done right now!” Eist said back weakly.

“Why? Why can’t you just sleep?” Calanthe said as she paced in front of their fireplace.

“You know why!” Eist bellowed.

Calanthe felt herself tense, her eyes going wide, just for a moment. Eist had never spoken to her that way before.

“Are you afraid the pelican is going to return?” Calanthe asked, crossing the room to him. “Don’t you ever raise your voice at me like that again.” Calanthe said, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I am your wife and I don’t deserve that.”

It was in that moment that Calanthe had enough. If Eist could not, or would not fall asleep on his own, then maybe Mousesack could help.

“Where are you going?” Eist asked as Calanthe stormed towards their chamber door.

“To find Mousesack.” Calanthe muttered as she whipped the door open.

“Why?” Eist asked, stumbling after her.

“To see if he can give you something to bloody sleep!” Calanthe snapped as Eist followed her down the hall.

“I don’t want anything to help me sleep.” Eist groaned as he caught up with her.

“Why not?” Calanthe huffed as she stopped walking, turning towards Eist.

“Because,” Eist said, running his hands through his hair, sighing as he did. “I’m worried that someone will hurt you if I do. It would only take a moment for anything could happ…”

Calanthe gently kissed Eist to calm him, to attempt to ease the fears that were consuming him. Eist was only lit by the soft glowing light of the moon. The shadows he carried on his face as of late were more prominent now, showing his exhaustion even more. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him as she did.

“I hate that you worry the way you do.” She whispered against his chest.

“I know.” Eist whispered into her hair.

“How do I stop it?”

“Stop what?”

“Stop you from worrying so much. You are making yourself sick.”

“Just be with me.” Eist whispered. “Just be with me and don’t leave my side until this is over.”

Calanthe sighed into him.

“And when this is over, I can stay here, and you can sail back to Cintra if you need some time away from me.” Eist whispered.

“Why would I want to be away from you?” Calanthe asked, looking up at her tired and wary husband.

He had truly lost his mind to exhaustion if he thought she wanted to be away from him.

“You’re not sick of me hovering over you?”

“No.” Calanthe said as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “I am sick of you not sleeping and constantly looking as though you’re about to fall over.” She leaned up and kissed him again before saying, “But that doesn’t mean I want to be away from you.”

“Did you see that?” Eist asked, snapping his head up as Calanthe raised herself to him for a kiss.

“See what?” Calanthe asked, turning her gaze to where his fell and not seeing any movement.

Calanthe turned back to Eist as she leaned back and patted his chest. “This is what happens when you don’t sleep. You start to see things.”

“We need to get back to our chambers.” Eist whispered. “Didn’t you notice that all the torches are out?” Eist said as he began to quickly walk, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her as he did.

Calanthe tensed. She had been so distracted with getting Eist anything to ease his exhaustion that she did not take notice to the dark halls as they walked through them. She looked around, suddenly realizing that there were no guards at their usual posts.

“Where are the guards?” Calanthe whispered.

Calanthe was turned then as Eist lifted her, spinning her and then suddenly she was being pushed away from him. His hands that had been wrapped so securely around her waist quickly unwrapped themselves from around her and flung her backwards with ease. She looked up to see Eist’s eyes go wide as his knees gave out. A young man was standing behind Eist, pulling a blade out of Eist’s back, causing a terrible scream to rip through him.

Seeing people become injured or even killed was not a strange sight for the Lioness of Cintra, but seeing it happen to her husband was an entirely different matter. Her vision went red as she lunged at the man, not caring what happened to her in the process. Her hands grabbed his arms and pinned him to the wall as she slammed herself into him. The man struggled for a moment, so Calanthe slammed her head into his as fury ran through her. She heard the dagger fall to the floor, so she turned and dove at it and then turned back to the man, plunging the blade into his gut.

Calanthe was shaking as she let go of the blade, watching with satisfaction as the man fell to the ground, his eyes closed forever. She turned then to see Eist still on his knees. He had gone pale with sweat on his brow and even in the faint moonlight she could make out that his lips were turning a sickly blue color.

“Eist!”

She screamed his name as he fell backwards, his body landing with a heavy thud. Pain that she had never felt before surged through her as she ran to him and took his face in her hands. As Eist’s eyes closed she began to wail, her body shaking harder than before as tears began to stream from her eyes.

“Calan…”

\--

Calanthe was not sure how she ended up in the infirmary.

She could vaguely remember being pulled away from Eist, screaming and thrashing as she was. She did not remember coming down to where she was though, or how Eist was brought down. Eist was propped up in one of the beds now, bandages wrapped around his chest and back. The blue coloring of Eist’s lips had also appeared on his fingernails but had begun to fade as Mousesack continued to pour different potions and elixirs down the King’s throat.

“I’ve done all I can for now, your Majesty.” Mousesack said quietly as he finished pouring the final vial down as Calanthe gently massaged Eist’s throat with her finger, coaxing him to swallow. “I would try to rest if you can.”

_Calanthe almost burst into laughter. Rest. The very thing she had begged her husband to do. How was she expected to rest?_

“Will he survive?” Calanthe felt sick at her own question.

“He was stabbed in the back by a blade laced with poison. Your Majesty, you must prepare yourself in case the worst happens.”

She took a shaky breath, feeling tears sting her eyes as she did.

“I will stay here for the night in case he wakes, as will Crach.” Mousesack whispered before quietly walking away.

Calanthe tore her eyes away for a moment to turn her head towards the door. Crach was sitting with his back turned, holding a rather large battle-axe in his hands. She hadn’t noticed he was there until then. She turned back to Eist, wrapping her hand around his. For a moment she thought he squeezed her hand, causing her to quickly look up at him, expecting to see his eyes open and smiling brightly at her. Only he wasn’t, he was still unconscious, his breathing slightly ragged.

Her lip quivered as she continued to hold his hand while she leaned against the bed, resting her head against his side. It took Calanthe hours to fall asleep that night. The irony was not lost on her that she was as worried for Eist as he had been for her over the last few weeks.

\--

Calanthe was leaning back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling while she held Eist’s hand. Eist lurched upward suddenly and began to vomit, almost falling off the bed as he did.

“I’ve got you.” Calanthe said as she reached for him, one of her arms wrapping around his shoulders and the other grabbing his hand that was closest to her.

She leaned him over the side of the bed, his forehead resting against her shoulder as Eist vomited again. Calanthe winced as she could feel it against her dress and run down, hitting her feet.

“Your Majesty!” Mousesack said as he approached quickly, attempting to pull her away.

“It’s fine!” Calanthe shouted, shrugging Mousesack away. “What is happening to him?”

“Do not fear, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as Eist vomited again. “This is exactly what he should be doing.”

“What?” Calanthe asked, turning to look at Mousesack. “What are you talking about?”

“I gave him a potion to induce vomiting.”

Calanthe could feel her lip curl as she scowled at Mousesack. “Why? Why did you do that to him?” She screamed as Eist began to dry heave.

Calanthe lightly stroked his back, not knowing what else she could do to comfort him.

“I did not tell you because I knew you would not allow it. This is good. I was not able to extract the poison from his blood stream, but at least this way he can get any out that went into his stomach.”

Eist’s arms were around her waist then, weakly clutching at her.

“Darling?” Calanthe said as she looked down and gently placed her hand under his chin, angling him to look up at her.

Eist looked as though he wanted to speak, but before he could he slumped over, collapsing against her as he did. Calanthe began to sob, overcome with emotion as her warrior husband went limp in her arms. She laid him back gently against the pillows and then laid herself against him as she continued to weep.

\--

“Modron. Modron?”

Calanthe could feel a large hand on her shoulder as she was being shaken awake. She lifted her head, praying that Eist was awake.

“Modron.”

Calanthe found Eist’s face, only to see he was still sleeping. She ignored Crach for a moment as she looked at Eist’s chest. She stared intently until she saw him take a breath, not noticing until after he did that she had stopped breathing. Calanthe looked up into his face then, seeing that the blue on his lips had faded away. She picked up his hand that was still held in hers and turned it slightly. The blue in his nails had faded too. Relief surged through her as she blinked sleep from her eyes before turning to Crach.

“This arrived from Vissegerd just now.” Crach said as he handed her the letter and walked away, taking up his post again in front of the door.

_Queen Calanthe,_

_I hope this letter finds you well._

_Every person that knew of your plans has been interrogated. There were four new members to court that were involved in preparing your ship. Two of them, both young men, disappeared several days before the King sailed for Skellige. At the time, it was assumed that they had simply left to find other means of employment._

_The only information that I was able to find on them was that one of them had dark hair and the other was blonde. Both claimed to be nineteen years old. The dark haired one is named Tristan and the blonde haired on is named Reqard. Both of them said they were from the South. I have dispatched several men to search for the two missing young men but as of now, they have not been found._

_Please be careful, your Majesty. These are dangerous times. I am prepared to send a legion of troops to Skellige at your command if need be._

  * _Vissegerd_



Calanthe felt herself shake as she read the letter. There were two spies in her court. Two spies from the South. Two spies that had disappeared. The young man that she had killed had dark hair, but she would never know for sure if it was the Tristan that Vissegerd spoke of.

“Your Majesty?”

She looked up then from the letter that she let fall into her lap, her face twisting in anger as she did. Mousesack was approaching carrying fresh bandages.

“Is everything alright?” Mousesack asked as he approached the other side of the king’s bed, setting the bandages down as he felt Eist’s forehead, checking for a fever.

Calanthe took a steady breath, choosing to turn her focus to her husband for now. “I don’t know yet.”

“We need to change his bandages.” Mousesack said as he began to untie the knot that was across Eist’s chest.

She stood, nodding as she put her arms under Eist’s shoulders and gently pulled him forward. His forehead fell against her shoulder as she gently rubbed the edges of his back. She pulled away after a moment so Mousesack could begin to unwrap his bandage from around him.

“There is much less blood this time.” Calanthe observed, feeling relief replace her fury as she watched the bandage slowly come off her husband.

When it was gone, Mousesack leaned around and looked over his wound. “Yes, it appears to be healing nicely.”

Mousesack picked up a jar of salve, slathering it on Eist’s wound before beginning to wrap the fresh bandage around him.

“Thanks to you.” Calanthe said, turning her gaze to Mousesack for only a moment before turning back to Eist.

Mousesack chuckled softly. “The King is one of my oldest friends. He welcomed me into his household, welcomed me as a friend.”

Calanthe looked back at Mousesack as she smiled softly while she ran her fingers over Eist’s cheek. “He is everything to me.” Calanthe said the words so softly she was not sure if Mousesack even heard her. “Please tell me he will wake soon?”

“He will. He has been through an awful lot. Now that the poison is out of his system, he just needs to rest, and he will heal in due time.”

Calanthe nodded as Mousesack finished tying Eist’s fresh bandage across his chest and then carefully leaned him back, resting him gently against the pillows on his bed. Mousesack left soon after, carrying the old bandages away. She leaned down over Eist and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, smiling as she grazed her fingers over his cheek again. He had not shaved in so long he almost had a full beard, which Calanthe had not seen before and rather liked on him.

She sat back down then and took Eist’s hand in hers before turning to face Crach.

“Nephew? Can you come here for a moment?”

“Modron?” Crach asked as he quickly stood, rushing to Calanthe’s side.

“Here,” she said, handing over Vissegerd’s letter. “I need you to read this.”

Crach finished the letter quickly and turned his gaze back to Calanthe. “Do you think the assassin that came for you is this Tristan that Vissegerd speaks of?”

“Maybe.” Calanthe said, looking up at Crach. “But if he is, then where is the other assassin?”


	19. Chapter 10A - Eist

**Chapter 10A – Eist**

**Year -1256**

The first thing that Eist was aware of when he woke again was Calanthe’s soft hand holding his. He squeezed gently as he took a deep breath. The smell of the juniper berries and the sea came rushing back to him as he opened his eyes. For a moment the sun was bright, blinding as he squinted his eyes while they adjusted to it. Calanthe was there then, leaning over him with her brow furrowed.

“Eist?” Her voice was soft and tired as she gently said his name.

When their eyes met for the first time in days, she smiled and suddenly Calanthe’s lips were against his, crashing into him and pressing him against the bed. She pulled away from him after a few moments as Eist felt her tears on his cheeks.

“I’ve missed you.” She whispered before returning her lips to his.

He kissed her back with all the energy he could muster. Eist was not sure how much time had passed since that night in the corridor, but he knew it was long enough to miss the taste of her on his lips. He lifted his hands to her face, gently running his thumbs over her cheeks to wipe her tears away.

“You’re okay.” Eist whispered softly against Calanthe’s lips as relief rushed through him. A sharp pain ripped through him as he tried to raise himself on his left elbow. He groaned as he quickly fell back on the bed.

Calanthe’s arms were around him then, helping him on his right side to lift him as he sat up against the pillows and propped himself against them. Eist blinked heavily as he looked around, settling against the pillows while the world came back into focus before quickly turning his attention to his wife.

“What happened?” Eist asked as Calanthe sat on the edge of the bed, trying to recall exactly what had happened that night in the corridor.

Before Calanthe could respond, the door to the infirmary opened. Eist looked up to see Crach yawning as he slowly walked in with his battle axe slung over his back.

“Modron, would you like to have your morning meal brought up yet?” Crach looked up just as he finished his sentence, his eyes going wide as he smiled. “Uncle!” Crach shouted as he sprinted over to the bed Eist was lying on. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“Sore. Sore and hungry.” Eist said as the pain in his head from hunger made itself known.

The door to the infirmary opened again, only this time Mousesack walked through.

“Your Majesty!” Mousesack said as he quickly approached the group. “It’s good to finally see you awake!”

Eist smiled briefly before asking, “How long was I out for?”

“Five days, your Majesty.” Mousesack said.

Eist turned his attention back to Calanthe as his eyes grew wide. _Had he really been out for that long?_ That was when Eist noticed how tired Calanthe looked, how thin her face had gotten in only a week’s time. Her hair had lost its luster and her skin looked dull and flat. Calanthe’s eyes were bright though, as was her smile as she looked back at him.

“What do you want to eat, darling?” Calanthe asked as she took both of his hands in hers.

“Anything.” Eist said as he offered her a small smile back.

Calanthe stood then and began to make her way to the door while Crach followed her like a shadow. When she opened the door, she stopped for a moment and turned back to Eist, smiling before leaving the infirmary.

“She refused to leave your side.” Mousesack said while Eist watched Calanthe go.

After Calanthe was gone, Eist looked up at Mousesack and smiled softly before his expression turned serious again. “She’s alright?” Eist asked as Mousesack helped Eist lean forward on the bed.

“She’s as good as can be expected.” Mousesack said as he lifted the bandage wrapped around Eist.

“What does that mean?” Eist asked when Mousesack motioned for him to sit back again.

“Do you remember what happened, your Majesty?”

Eist thought hard, his memories coming back to him slowly. “I remember being in a dark corridor with Calanthe. A man appeared and ran at her, so I shoved her out of the way.”

“And got stabbed in the process.” Mousesack finished.

“Yes.” Eist said. “Calanthe was not hurt?”

“Not physically. The guards found her, screaming in the corridor. She killed the man who attacked the both of you and was holding you against her. She ripped a part of her dress off and had it pressed to your back to try to stop the bleeding. When the guards tried to move you, one of them tried to move her out of the way in the process. The Queen attacked them, refusing to leave your side. Crach was summoned then but she turned on him too. I had to put her in a trance to calm her so we could get to you.”

Eist nodded as he took a deep breath. “And how has she been since?”

“Well as I said, she has not left your side. Going to have food brought to you is the first time she has left since it happened. She slept here with you, ate what little food she has been eating with you, Hell she even bathed in here.”

Eist looked at him, raising his eyebrows.

“Look,” Mousesack said, looking over his shoulder and motioning to a tub that Eist had not noticed until then that was on the other side of the room. “She had a tub put in so she would not need to leave for any reason.”

“So why hasn’t she been eating?” Eist asked.

“She has no appetite apparently. The servants have brought her food regularly, but she would only pick at it.” Mousesack said. “She has been absolutely miserable. And it has not helped that Pavetta and Ciri have not returned.”

“Why have they not returned? What has happened?” Eist asked as he sat up a little straighter and winced as a sharp pain shot through him.

“Nothing, your Majesty. Bran has kept them on Undvick out of fear of moving them. Once Vissegerd learned of what happened to you, he sent a thousand Cintran troops to the Isle’s. Five hundred are now in place here, guarding the Queen and yourself. The other five hundred have been sent to protect the Princesses on Undvick. Bran has been waiting to see if your condition became better or worsened. If it had worsened, Bran was to send word to Vissegerd to have the entire Cintran fleet set sail to retrieve the Princesses and evacuate them back to Cintra.”

“And why would they not have taken their Queen?”

“Because we all knew damn well that she would not leave you. Since Pavetta and Duny are more than fit to take the throne, her Majesty said she would stay with you, no matter the cost it brought to her.”

Eist sighed as he brushed his hand through his hair. _Had he been that close to dying?_

“There is something else, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he crossed the room to a small table and picked up a piece of parchment.

When it was handed to Eist, he took it and glanced over it. “What is this?”

“It is the letter from Vissegerd to the Queen after she requested him to interrogate who originally knew of her plans to travel to Skellige with you. It arrived after you were attacked.”

Eist looked down at it again, and this time he read it thoroughly.

“Two men went missing after Calanthe’s plans changed?” Eist asked.

“Yes, and based on what little we know, we believe the man that attacked you in the hallway was the Tristan that Vissegerd spoke of. He was able to find another man who worked at the docks who remembers Tristan and Reqard. That man is currently on his way here now to see if he can identify the body of the man who attacked you.”

Eist set the letter on his lap and ran his hand through his hair again. “Even if it is, if Vissegerd is correct then there were two of them? That means another person is out there who wants to kill the Queen.”

“Yes, unfortunately that is exactly what it means.” Mousesack said as he took a deep breath.

“Why?” Eist asked as he looked up at Mousesack, “Why did they do it? Are they working for someone? Do they have an agenda?”

“We don’t know. He was searched and no letter or manifesto was found on the body that we have. As of right now we do not have anything to go on. We don’t even know if they were really from the South or if they just claimed to be. These things happen with royalty far too often. This wasn’t the first attempt on the Queen’s life, and it will not be the last.”

Eist took a deep breath again to calm himself.

“Has Calanthe been alone?”

“No, she is under constant guard, which she is not enjoying. Crach has only left her to sleep and I have attempted to stay with her when he does. There are one hundred guards surrounding this room, lined around the perimeter on the outside.”

Eist nodded, trying to take all of the information in. “Did we ever figure out what happened to the missing guards that night?” Eist asked, thinking hard as he remembered the guards missing and the torches being out in the corridors.

“Yes.” Mousesack said slowly, hanging his head. “Their bodies were found in a spare room a few days later.”

Eist took a deep breath as he leaned his head back against the headboard. He glanced to the side for just a moment and noticed a pile of books.

“What are those?” Eist asked as he motioned towards the books.

Mousesack chuckled. “Her Majesty has been reading to you.”

“She’s been reading to me, really?” Eist asked.

“Yes. Every morning she would read you a few chapters in one of these books. When she reviewed the daily reports she received on what has been going on in Cintra and Skellige, she would read those aloud as well. Then at night she would read you a few more chapters in one of the books before falling asleep.”

Eist teared up for a moment as he looked over at the books, avoiding Mousesack’s eyes. The idea of his battle-hardened wife reading to him was perhaps the sweetest thing he had ever heard.

The door to the infirmary opened then. Calanthe walked inside with Crach closely behind her, carrying his axe in his hands. Eist looked past them to see a servant wheeling a large food cart filled with platters. Past them he could make out the line of solid Cintran soldiers with their backs facing the infirmary.

“Leave the cart here.” Calanthe said as she motioned to a table with chairs near Eist’s bed.

“We’ll leave you two alone.” Mousesack said as he motioned for Crach to follow him out of the infirmary.

Calanthe made her way to Eist, sitting beside him on the edge of the bed again.

“Your Majesty,” Mousesack said as he reached the door and turned back around. “You can get up if you’d like, stretch your legs maybe? I will be back to examine you again later.”

Eist nodded before he turned his attention to Calanthe.

“Do you want to try to sit over there?” Calanthe asked, motioning towards the table near the food cart.

Eist nodded and with Calanthe’s help, he was able to stand and make his way to the table.

“Did you clear out the kitchens?” Eist joked when Calanthe began to lay platters of food in front of him.

Calanthe chuckled as she set a plate full of bacon down. “Everyone was so excited to hear that you were awake. It felt like the food was appearing out of nowhere.”

“What are you eating?” Eist asked as Calanthe sat down beside him, noticing that she was not putting any food on her plate.

“I’ll wait till you’re done.” Calanthe said as she smiled at him.

“Why? I know you’re hungry and there is enough food here to feed fifteen people. Eat.” Eist said as he motioned towards the food.

He watched as Calanthe sighed and placed a small amount of food on her plate.

“That’s all your eating?” Eist asked as he placed huge portions of food in front of himself.

“My stomach is just upset. I’ll eat more later.” Calanthe said as she took a small bite of her eggs, looking as though she was forcing them down her throat. “So, tell me darling, how do you feel? Are you in any pain?”

“My back is sore, but I suppose it will feel that way for a while.” Eist said as he slowly adjusted his shoulder in a circle, lifting it upward at first and then circling it back down, wincing as he did. “Fuck, that hurts.”

Calanthe dropped her fork and stood before Eist could protest and checked under his bandage.

“Am I bleeding again?”

“No, thank goodness.” Calanthe said as she took her seat beside him again.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Eist devoured his food and quickly served himself more. Once he was on his second serving of eggs, he glanced up to notice that Calanthe had not picked up her fork again to eat.

“You are really not hungry? Mousesack said you have not been eating much.” Eist said as he looked up at her, his brow beginning to furrow with worry.

Calanthe glowered for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she did. “Mousesack needs to mind his own business.”

Eist dropped his fork while taking a deep breath. “Mousesack is looking after you and you know it. Now why have you not been eating?”

“I told you my stomach was upset.”

Eist looked at her, tilting his head to the side as he clicked his tongue. “It’s been upset all week?”

“Yes!” Calanthe shouted as she stood, pushing her chair back so hard that it fell the ground. “Forgive me for not having much of an appetite while you’re lying unconscious in an infirmary with a stab wound!”

Eist stood then, watching as Calanthe all but transformed in front of him. She was hunched over, just slightly. Her shoulders and arms were tense, her expression angry and strained. She looked like the Lioness of ballad and song, and it was terrifying.

“Why did you do it?” She whispered as tears stung her eyes.

Eist took a step towards her, pleased to see that Calanthe did not step away from him in return.

“Do what?” He spoke slowly and calmly as he took another step.

“You pushed me out of the way!” Calanthe yelled, her voice strong but shaking. “That blade was meant for me. It should have been me lying in that bed, not you!”

Eist took another step towards her and was now just one more step away from being able to reach her.

“Yes, I did push you out of the way.” Eist said as the memory flash in his mind. It was a strange feeling to remember the blade enter his back again. He could feel the searing hot pain all over again just as he did the first time as the dagger was plunged into his back but willed himself not to show it. Eist took another step and reached out with his right arm, quickly but gently grabbing ahold of hers as he stepped towards her again and pulled her into him. “And I would do it again in a heartbeat.” Eist whispered into Calanthe’s ear as he held her to him.

The smell of juniper berries rushed through him as she shook, sobbing in his arms. “I love you.” Eist whispered before pressing a kiss to her ear.

They stayed there, just as they were for a few moments as Calanthe’s breathing slowed and crying eased. He began to stroke her back and noticed that she was pressing herself further into him, almost melting as she clutched herself against him. “I love you.” Eist whispered again. He repeated it over and over, as he leaned down and began to pepper her face with kisses.

“I love you, and there is nothing I would not do for you.” Eist finished with a soft kiss pressed to her lips as he moved his arms from around her to hold her face in his hands, gently wiping her tears away with his thumbs as he did.

“You told me soon after we wed that you would probably get yourself killed trying to protect me.” Calanthe said as she sniffed and blinked to clear her eyes of the rest of her tears. “I should have known you were serious.”

Eist laughed for a moment as he pressed his lips to Calanthe’s again. It felt good to laugh, but what felt even better was the smile his laughter brought out of Calanthe.

“Come on, let’s go for a walk. Mousesack said you haven’t left here since it happened.” Eist said as he put his arms around her again.

Calanthe nodded against his chest before turning her gaze up to him. “Eist?”

His name was a whispered question on her lips. He turned his gaze down to her and could not resist pressing another kiss to her lips.

“Hmm?” He asked when they parted again.

“I love you too.”

Her voice was still a whisper when she spoke the words, but their meaning was loud and sincere. Her eyes were burning, seemingly pleading with him to understand just how much the Lioness loved her Sea Hound.

Eist pressed his forehead against hers but before he could speak, the door opened to the infirmary again.

“Your Majest…”

Eist sighed before he looked up to see Mousesack quickly turning around and making his way back out of the infirmary, clearly hoping he had not been seen.

“What is it Mousesack?” Eist asked as he regretfully pulled away from Calanthe until only his arm was around her waist.

Eist glanced down to see that he was holding a sealed piece of parchment in his hand. Mousesack turned again, keeping his eyes to the ground as he approached the King and Queen.

“A letter has arrived for you, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he handed the letter to Calanthe.

Calanthe took the letter, turning it quickly in her hand to check the seal.

“It’s from Pavetta.” Calanthe said as she used her thumb to break the wax.

Eist moved so he was standing behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his jaw gently against her ear. Calanthe held the letter higher so he could read along with her.

When they both finished, Calanthe lowered the letter and raised her hand to squeeze one of Eist’s around her waist before pulling away from him and walking towards the closed off room at the opposite end of the infirmary. Eist watched her till she entered and then turned back to Mousesack.

“Your Majesty, let me check your wound one more time.”

“Again?” Eist asked as he sat back down in his chair at their makeshift dining table.

Eist had never enjoyed being fussed over or being looked after. Even when he was a boy and he would hurt himself while playing, he never wanted sympathy or pity over it. The only person he allowed to dote on him was his wife and that was for her sake, not his.

“I’m fine.” Eist huffed as Mousesack pulled back the bandage.

“I know you don’t enjoy this,” Mousesack said when he was finished. “But you were stabbed with a blade laced with poison. Humor the rest of us while we worry, will you?”

Eist sighed and nodded before registering what Mousesack had said. “What do you mean the blade was poisoned?”

“Yes, your Majesty. It seems whoever was after the Queen was intent on ensuring her death, even if he was only able to scratch her.”

“If that’s the case than how am I still alive?” Eist asked.

“It seems the would-be assassin was rather bad at alchemy. The poison that he used was not potent enough.”

“So, I am alive because of a mistake?”

“Yes.” Mousesack said. “I am still trying to trace the poison, to see if that helps identify who did this.”

“By the way, I almost forgot to mention, Vissegerd has sent an additional three hundred troops early this morning. Most of them are spread out amongst the Isle’s as we cannot house them all here. Danek himself has come over, along with his new young squire, Lazlo I think his name is. Apparently Vissegerd is going mad at being able to have to stay in Cintra with the Queen here.”

Eist nodded his head. “So, how is my back anyway? How long till I’m fully healed?”

“The wound is almost healed now, but it was deep, so you’ll have to be careful. Now that you’re awake, you are fine to go back to your quarters. No strenuous activity though, at least not for the next few weeks.”

Eist could feel his sense of humor returning as his strength did. He saw his chance, so he took it. “And what would you define as strenuous activity?”

“Let’s not go there.” Mousesack snapped as his face turned red.

Eist smirked as Calanthe began to make her way out of the room she had gone into and walk towards them.

“Here,” Calanthe said as she handed several letters to Mousesack. “Get these to Pavetta and Vissegerd at once.”

Mousesack bowed and quickly left the room as Calanthe turned to Eist.

“It’s time for Pavetta to come back to Kaer Trolde.” Calanthe said as she put her arms around Eist. “And Vissegerd needs to know you’re awake. Otherwise he might send the entire Cintran army here to bring us back.”

Eist chuckled. “Well apparently he sent Danek and another three hundred troops. They arrived this morning.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes. “I don’t know where he thinks all these soldiers are supposed to go once they are here, or what he thinks they will do.”

“He is worried for you, that’s all. We will have to get back to Cintra soon.”

“We will.” Calanthe said as she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. “After this is over.”

\--

Calanthe had servants fill the tub in the infirmary so they could bathe and had clothes brought down for them to take a walk in. Eist sighed as he climbed into the steaming water, realizing then just how badly he wanted to scrub himself clean. Calanthe stayed outside the tub at first, sitting on a chair she had moved by the tub to scrub his hair clean. Eist groaned, leaning his head forward as she lathered the soap in his hair. He smiled as she ran her fingernails against his scalp over and over, causing a tingling sensation to run up his back.

“Lean your head back, darling.” Calanthe whispered after she poured water over his head to rinse his hair.

Eist smirked as he rested his head back against her knees, his hair soaking her dress as he did. Eist closed his eyes, wondering why she had asked him to lean back against her. He felt water on his face, against his beard which he realized quite suddenly was much thicker than normal. He felt Calanthe’s fingers then, gently massaging soap against his jaw and across his cheeks to clean his beard. He felt a damp cloth over his cheek when she was done, wiping the soap away. He opened his eyes to see Calanthe carefully wiping his other cheek and jaw. She met his eyes when she realized he was looking up at her and smiled.

“I need to shave.” Eist whispered.

“No.” Calanthe groaned as she leaned down to kiss him. Eist smiled, enjoying the feeling of kissing her upside down. She broke apart after a few moments to pull back from him and meet his eyes again. “I like the beard.”

Eist smiled as he lifted his head off of her lap, prompting her to stand. “You do, huh?” Eist asked playfully.

“I do.” Calanthe said as she began to walk away from him.

“You’re not getting?”

Calanthe turned, laughing softly when their eyes met. Eist was thoroughly upset that she had not joined him in the tub yet and was fully prepared to pout until she did. She smiled softly as she walked to him, shaking her head in amusement as she pulled her dress over her head and tossed it to the side. When she climbed in, she faced him at first, allowing him to rap his arms around her. He smiled as she reached up and ran her fingers over his cheek again, over his beard. Calanthe pressed herself against him, kissing him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, being gentler on his left side.

Eist and Calanthe broke apart after few moments, taking deep breaths to calm themselves. She turned in his arms then and Eist sighed as she nestled back against his chest.

“Alright, I’ll keep the beard.” Eist whispered, pretending to sound annoyed.

“Good.” Calanthe whispered back.

Eist smiled again as Calanthe leaned her head back, turning it just slightly so her temple was pressed against his jaw. Eist kissed her temple and then leaned down to nuzzle against her, smiling once again as she sighed and melted back against him.

\--

The sun was out as they made their way outside out of the back of the castle. A company of thirty men, led by Danek who was followed closely by Lazlo, followed the King and Queen as they made their way down the hill to a grassy knoll near the beach. Eist stopped when he found the tree that stood alone on the top of the knoll. The air was cool, so he had brought a rucksack filled with two blankets, a jug of mulled wine, and two mules. When they reached the tree, he motioned for Danek to have the men take up their places surrounding them.

“Do you want any men to stay with you?” Danek asked.

“No.” Eist said as he pulled the blankets out and handed one of them to Calanthe while spreading the other over the grass. “No, I would like all of you to be far enough away so you can’t see or hear anything.”

Danek blushed for a moment before quickly walking away to take up his post.

“What do you have planned, Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe said as Eist turned around to face her.

Eist smiled and leaned down, pecking a kiss on her lips as he took the blanket from her and sat down. Calanthe sat down across from him as Eist pulled out the wine and poured a glass, handing it to her. Eist settled his back against the tree as he poured his own glass and took a sip from it, closing his eyes as he did. The sound of the waves splashing against the sand and seagulls squawking filled the air. Eist opened his eyes again when he felt Calanthe move closer to him. He smirked as he opened his eyes and watched as she drained her mule of wine and then laid herself down so her back was in his lap and her head propped against his stomach.

“Comfortable?” Eist asked as he smiled down at her. After a few moments Eist grabbed the blanket that she had laid down, forgotten beside them, and leaned down to drape it over her, covering her just below her neck before taking her hand.

“Are you in any pain?” Calanthe asked as Eist settled himself against the tree again.

“No, I am quite content.” Eist whispered as Calanthe picked up his hand that was wrapped around hers and held it to her mouth to kiss it.

“It’s so good to see you smiling again.” Calanthe whispered as she kissed his hand again, lacing their fingers together and bringing their hands to rest on her chest.

Calanthe closed her eyes and Eist felt her body relax as she laid against him. He looked down at her and realized after a few moments she had fallen asleep. Eist rested his head back against the tree and then quickly scanned their surroundings, keeping his eye out for a young blonde man.

\--

A small feast was held that night in the banquet hall to celebrate Eist’s return to good health. Eist held hands with Calanthe under the table, pleased to see she was eating.

Eist looked around the hall. It was filled with Skelligan’s and Cintran’s alike. Dancing was taking place in the center of the hall while Draig Bon-Dhu and several other Skelligan’s merrily played their pipes. Eist quickly scanned the hall again. There were several blonde young men around. Most of them Eist recognized, but some he admittedly did not. Eist took a long sip of beer as his eyes flicked between all of them. None of the blonde young men seemed focused on Calanthe at all, and instead all of them seemed focused on either eating, dancing, brawling, or attempting to woo the women they were flirting with.

“I don’t think there is any danger here, Darling.” Calanthe said as she squeezed his hand.

Eist looked at her and smiled softly but was not convinced. He appreciated the feast that Crach had thrown together, but there were too many people here for his liking. The Cintran guards that lined the perimeter of the banquet hall were not enough to ease his worry. Eist fidgeted with the dagger that was hidden inside his sleeve for a moment.

“You want to go upstairs, don’t you?” Calanthe said as she glanced over at him again before turning her gaze back to the dancers.

“How do you know that?” Eist asked as he smirked at her.

“Because I know you don’t like these shindigs. Besides I can see you scanning the hall.” Calanthe said as she glanced back over at him. “We’ll leave in a little while.” Calanthe whispered.

“You know what we haven’t played in a while?” Eist asked after a few moments.

“Hmm?” Calanthe asked.

“Knucklebones.”

“Care for a game when we get upstairs?” Calanthe asked.

Eist turned to Calanthe and smirked in response.

\--

The air was becoming thick in the banquet hall inside Kaer Trolde as the festivities came to a head. Eist could sense the tension in the room as he glanced around. Beer had been flowing freely and it was beginning to show on the faces around the room. Mousesack was laughing at a joke that Draig Bon-Dhu had told him and was turning a deep shade of red while he was doing so.

“I think Mousesack has had a bit too much to drink.” Calanthe said as Eist found her hand under the table again.

“Yes,” Eist chuckled. “I believe he has.”

Eist leaned back then in his chair. A sharp pain ripped through his back then, causing him to groan and jerk upward again.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked, turning to Eist.

“It’s fine.” Eist said as he rolled his shoulder. “It’s just stiff that’s all.”

Calanthe glanced back over at him and Eist could tell by her expression that she was not satisfied with his answer.

“My love, I’m fine.”

Before Eist could say anything else, screaming erupted in the room. Eist snapped his head over to where the commotion was taking place to see Crach throwing punches with Olaf Stifvason, a fellow Skelligan. A small circle quickly formed around the two as they both threw drunken punches at each other. The Cintran guards that lined the walls of the banquet hall kept throwing glances at the fight and then to Eist and Calanthe, clearly unsure if they should intervene. Eist went to stand, it had always been up to him to break up his nephews’ brawls but before he could, Calanthe was on her feet.

“I’ll take care of it.” She said as she walked to one of her guards and held out her hand silently.

Eist chuckled as the guard clearly did not know how to respond.

“Give me your sword.” Calanthe commanded.

The guard bowed before quickly drawing his sword, handing it to her by its blade. Eist leaned back in his chair again, his shoulder less sore this time from having stretched it a moment ago, to enjoy the sight before him. Skelligan men were known for their height and large builds. Calanthe was tall for a woman but in the presence of the Skelligan’s, she looked particularly small. She made her way through the gathering crowd quickly as they began to bow to her once they realized that their Ard Rhena was in their presence.

When Calanthe got to the center of the circle, everyone except Crach and Olaf had bowed. Eist looked intently, not understanding for a moment why his nephew had not stopped what he was doing and bowed as he normally would have, even if he was in the middle of a fight. He realized that Crach was so drunk he did not notice Calanthe was there.

“Enough!” Calanthe screamed.

Eist watched as Crach looked up for a moment, clearly so far gone he did not recognize Calanthe. He waved her off and pulled out his axe, fumbling with it as he did so. Eist stood as Olaf pulled out his axe as well, his body tense and ready to spring. Both men swung at each other in unison. Calanthe’s sword was there then, hitting both of the men’s axe blades just after they clashed in the air. Calanthe hit them so hard then the axes fell from the men’s hands.

“Oy!” Olaf yelled at Calanthe, shaking his hand from the shock of the vibration.

Eist smirked as Olaf then began to stare at Calanthe and after a moment recognized who she was.

“Your Majesty!” Olaf said as he dropped to his knee. “I did not know it was you.”

“Clearly.” Calanthe said as she turned to Crach.

Crach was already on his knee, his head hung low.

“Get up, Nephew.” Calanthe said in a low, terrifying whisper.

Crach stumbled as he stood, still not looking into Calanthe’s eyes.

Calanthe walked to a nearby table, the Skelligan’s parting for her as she did. She picked up a jug of water off the table and marched back to Crach, thrusting it into his hands.

“No more beer for the rest of the night.”

“Yes, Modron. I’m sorry.” Crach said as he took a sip of water.

Calanthe walked away then and made her way back up to where Eist was standing, handing the sword back to the guard as she did. The room was still silent as their eyes followed Calanthe and eventually fell to Eist when she reached his side, standing close to him as she did. He smiled at Calanthe when she reached him and resisted the urge to kiss her. When he turned his gaze back down to the banquet guests, his smile was gone and instead replaced by a look of dissatisfaction.

“I’m sorry Uncle.” Crach said as he made his way to the high table where Eist and Calanthe sat.

Eist crossed his arms over his chest and raised his head higher to look at his nephew, staying silent as he did. After a few moments, Crach nodded and walked away, sipping his water as he did while he took his seat again. The Skelligan’s returned to their seats then and soon the rowdiness of laughter ensued.

“Are you ready to pull a disappearing act yet?” Calanthe asked while they still stood.

Eist turned to her and smirked. “I’ve been ready all night long.”

\--

“Isn’t this a game for children?” Calanthe huffed as she lost their third game of knucklebones.

Eist laughed as he looked up at Calanthe, who was clearly irritated.

“You’re only saying that because you don’t like to lose.”

“No, I bloody well don’t.”

They were sitting on a rug in front of their fire in the sitting room, the mat from their game spread out between them. Calanthe had changed into one of Eist’s linen shirts and had let her hair down, flowing over her shoulders and down her back in waves. Eist sat shirtless and in his linen pants, the bandage finally removed from being wrapped around his chest and back.

Eist chuckled again, “Do you want to stop playing?”

“No.” Calanthe sighed as she handed the knucklebones back to him. “I won’t get any better if I don’t keep trying.”

“Very true, my love.” Eist whispered as he picked up a nearby mule and took a sip of beer.

Calanthe shifted how she was sitting then, draping her legs out to the side of her as she rested on her thigh and supported herself up by her hand resting on the ground. Eist watched as his linen shirt was pulled up slightly so it barely covered the highest part of her thigh. He cleared his throat then, attempting to distract himself long enough to finish their game.

“Well play a few more times, but then we should get to bed.” Eist said as he drained his mule.

When he set it down, his eyes fell back to Calanthe’s uncovered thighs again. He blinked and turned his focus back to the game at hand.

“Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny should arrive in the afternoon.” Calanthe said.

“Yes, and the dock worker from Cintra should be here in the morning. I want to hear what he has to say.” Eist said as he picked up the knucklebones and tossed them into the air again.

\--

“Alright, I give up.” Calanthe said after Eist won their last two games.

Eist chuckled as he got to his feet and stretched his shoulder again. Calanthe stayed on the ground, so Eist offered her his hand to her. She took his hand but made no attempt to get up. Eist noticed then that her body was beginning to flush and her cheeks were beginning to turn a lovely shade of red.

“I’ve missed sleeping with you.” Calanthe said, rubbing her thumb against his hand.

Before he could speak Calanthe let go of his hand as she got on her knees and crawled to him. When she was directly underneath him, she pulled at the fabric of his pants around his legs. After a few tugs, his pants were pooling at his ankles, his quickly hardening member bouncing free as Calanthe wrapped her hands around his thighs and her mouth around him.

His hands were lost in her hair as he moaned at the feeling of her hot wet mouth around him. She pulled back then, letting him fall from her mouth before sucking just the tip of him in and humming. The vibrations made his toes curl as he leaned into her slightly while a loud moan slipped from his mouth. After a few moments she took more of him in, so he was halfway inside of her mouth as she continued to hum. Eist pulled out from her mouth then, stepping back quickly as he leaned down and placed his hands underneath her arms to pick her up.

“Let’s go to bed.” He whispered, his voice raspy.

They moved to their bedchamber quickly as Eist pulled his shirt off of Calanthe as they walked. Calanthe sat on the edge of the bed, spreading her legs wide as Eist reached down, grazing her center. Eist stood over her for a moment, gazing down into her with unbridled passion burning in his eyes. She was wet for him already so Eist held onto her hips, entering her quickly as he laid her on her back. Eist groaned as he felt Calanthe’s legs wrap tightly around his back as he moved in and out of her, his feet braced firmly on the floor to give him leverage. Her hands were around his neck then, lost in his own hair as he kissed her madly. It was after a few moments that he noticed the tears falling from her eyes.

Eist sat up immediately, attempting to pull out of her but her legs were still locked tightly around him.

“Please.” Calanthe breathed out as she reached for him, grabbing onto his arms and pulling him back down. “Please stay like this.”

Eist leaned down over her again, breaking free of her gentle grasp to take her face in his hands as he slowed his thrusts.

“My love, if you are in pain we should stop.” Eist whispered as he kissed her gently on the lips.

“I’m not in pain.” Calanthe breathed as her hands moved to rest on the sides of his face. “I’m happy. I… I thought I was going to lose you. I thought everything was over, that you were gone…”

Eist pressed his lips to hers, his tongue entering her open mouth, flicking against her own tongue. He could hear the panic in her voice, the terror, and the worry. He knew that feeling all too well and would do anything to stop her from feeling it.

“I’m here.” Eist whispered as he parted from her. “I’m here and I’m alright, we both are.”

He looked into her eyes then as tears continued to pool.

“I love you.”

Eist relished every time she spoke those words to him, but now as he stared into her eyes, he was sure that they had never been spoken so purely, so deeply by anyone before.

Eist deepened his thrusts as his right hand left her cheek and made its way down to please her. “I love you too.” Eist whispered as he placed a gentle kiss to her while his finger began to stroke her clit.

Calanthe’s face contorted as she let out a soft scream, her hips jerking into him involuntarily.

Eist traced his lips down her neck until they found the tender spot between her neck and shoulder that she favored so much. He continued his relentless strokes and soon Calanthe was thrusting her own hips into the air, meeting his as her orgasm washed over her. Her moans and screams filled the air as Eist slowed his thrusts, allowing him to focus more on his strokes as she rode out her pleasure. Soon her head was falling back as he flicked his finger faster than before over her, barely grazing the tip of her clit as he did.

“Eist.” Calanthe moaned out as she attempted to squirm away from him.

His other hand left her face then to brace itself on her hip to hold her in place. She was right on the edge again.

“Come for me.” Eist whispered as his finger continued its flicks.

Calanthe screamed then as her hips thrashed against Eist’s grip and his thrusts. When it was over, she collapsed back against the bed, her body flushed and sweating as she shook. He reached his thumb down just slightly, running it between her lips as he thrusted in and out of her to wet it with her own juices before moving it back up to trace circles around the edges of her clit.

“It’s too much.” Calanthe breathed out as she squirmed beneath him.

“What’s too much?” Eist asked as he chuckled, knowing full well what she was talking about.

“You’re too good at that.” Calanthe breathed out again as she began to gasp.

Eist quickened the circles around her clit as he adjusted his footing so he was hitting her at just the right angle as he thrusted into her. His thrusts became slower and harder as he continued to quicken the circles. Calanthe’s back arched high into the air as she came again, this time screaming at the top of her lungs as she did. As her orgasm waned, Eist braced himself by holding onto both of her hips and pounded himself into her until he could feel he was hitting Calanthe’s treasured spot inside of her. One hand left her hip for a moment as he strummed his fingers over her clit and when she started screaming again moments later, he pulled out of her as she squirted, her hips thrusting against his fingers as she did.

Calanthe collapsed back into the bed when it was over, her body flushed more than before and covered in sweat. She was shaking as Eist entered her again and laid himself down on top of her, kissing her as he filled her. Soon he was coming, screaming her name as he held her close to him.

When it was over, they laid there in silence for a while as he softened inside of her, eventually slipping out. Eist nuzzled her for a moment before getting up, realizing that he was still laying on top of Calanthe. He stretched when he stood, pulling down their bedcovers for them to climb in. As he pulled the covers down, Calanthe attempted to stand but her legs quickly gave out, causing her to stumble. Eist caught her and pulled her into him.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked as he pulled her against his chest.

“It seems my legs are a little weak.” She whispered as she pressed a kiss to his chest before looking up at him again and raising her brow, “I wonder why that could be?”

“I have absolutely no idea.” Eist whispered back playfully before helping her to lay down in bed.

Soon Eist climbed in bed with her and rested himself against the pillows as he pulled Calanthe into his arms, spreading his legs as he did so she could lay up the center of him if she chose.

“You better sleep well tonight.” Calanthe whispered as she laid her head against his right shoulder, his chin pressed against her forehead.

“I will.” Eist said as he took a deep breath, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “I will as long as I can hold you just like this.” He whispered as he turned his head, pressing a kiss to her temple while his fingers began to stroke up and down her back.

“I love you.” Calanthe breathed out just before she fell asleep.

Eist sighed as he began to glance around the room.

_“This wasn’t the first attempt on the Queen’s life, and it will not be the last.”_

Mousesack’s words threatened to keep him up again that night. He stopped himself, remembering that exhausting himself had not helped the last time. Calanthe was not any safer if he became so tired that he could not focus and was not truly aware as to what was going on around him. Instead Eist chose to focus on Calanthe’s slow, steady breathing. Eist slowed his breathing in time with hers and was soon asleep.


	20. Chapter 10B - Calanthe

**Chapter 10B – Calanthe**

**Year – 1256**

It had been five days since the attack. Five days since Eist pushed her out of the way. Five days since he last smiled at her. Five days since she woke wrapped in his arms. Five days of realizing how many ways she took him for granted.

No one else was in the infirmary so she had it all to herself, outside of Crach and Mousesack who refused to leave her side. Crach stood guard, his battle axe in his hands, sometimes standing and sometimes sitting, inside the infirmary. He only left to sleep at night. Mousesack would be there then, not leaving for any reason until Crach came back in the morning.

Calanthe gave up asking Mousesack about Eist’s condition, for the answer was always the same.

“He is alive, your Majesty. That is all I know.”

Food was served to her regularly, but she lost her appetite. Nausea began to take over her at the sight and smell of food. She would take a few bites and then push the rest away. A tub was installed by her command in the corner of the infirmary so she could bathe without leaving.

“Your Majesty, you should go upstairs and rest.” Mousesack would plead. “I will sit with him for you.”

Calanthe would not have it. Eist’s condition seemed to change by the second. One moment he appeared to be sleeping soundly, the next his breathing would become ragged as sweat appeared on his brow as he broke into a fever.

“I won’t leave him.” Calanthe would say.

She would climb into his bed at night and pull him into her arms. Sleep was hard to come by now. She was not afraid of the second assassin coming for her, instead she was afraid of Eist’s condition suddenly changing, suddenly worsening. So at night she held him tight and would eventually drift off, only to be awoken by even the slightest movement or sound from him.

On the fifth day, Calanthe climbed out of bed early, well before the sun rose. Mousesack was asleep on a cot that he had put in the room in the back of the infirmary. Calanthe walked to it, pulling it shut as it had been left open ajar. She stepped just outside the door then and requested that one of the many guards lined outside the infirmary door summon a servant to fill the tub.

“Your Majesty!” Mousesack exclaimed as he appeared in the doorway, not expecting to see Calanthe already awake.

Calanthe had just been leaning over the bath, putting drops of her juniper berry oil into the water. It was still Eist’s favorite after all these years.

“You should still be sleeping.” Mousesack said as he looked over at where Eist laid.

Calanthe scoffed at his words. “Would if I could.”

“I can give you something if you’d like, to help you sleep.”

Calanthe almost dropped the vial that held her oil into the water as tears stung her eyes. She felt herself tremble in the candlelight as she quickly set the vial down on a nearby table.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Mousesack asked.

“That’s why we were in the corridor.” Calanthe said softly, her voice barely a whisper.

“What?” Mousesack asked, taking a few steps closer to the Queen.

“That’s why we were in the corridor.” Calanthe repeated a little louder.

She had not told anyone why they were in the corridor so late five days ago when it had happened. The guilt over it had been consuming her since, and she had found that she did not want to talk about it.

“Eist couldn’t sleep. He was so consumed with worrying about me that he would lay awake at night, constantly on edge in case someone came after me. It got so bad he could barely function. I left our chambers to come and find you, to see if you would give him something to help him sleep. Eist came after me, insisting he didn’t want anything. And that was when it happened.”

Calanthe felt the tears fall from her eyes as she sat on a nearby chair.

“Why did he do it?” Calanthe asked.

“Do what, your Majesty?” Mousesack asked as he pulled a chair to sit across from her.

“He pushed me out of the way. It should be me lying in that bed, not him.” Calanthe said as she looked over at Eist as her tears continued to flow silently down her face.

“The King loves you. Hell, he more than loves you, he worships you. Of course he pushed you out of the way. Would you not have done the same for him?”

“Of course I would have!”

“Exactly. You would do it for him, but yet you are shocked that he did it for you. This explains your reaction though.”

“What?”

“Your reaction to what happened to the King has surprised me to be honest, but it makes sense now. You feel guilty.”

Calanthe hung her head and began to play with the ring Eist gave her on her finger, not knowing how to respond, not wanting to admit out loud the guilt she was feeling. They sat in silence for a long time.

“I know you don’t like to talk of destiny…”

“No, I don’t. It’s a sore subject.”

“I know, it’s just… you were destined to be with him. You know that, don’t you? Eist was never meant to go to the banquet where he met you. Bran, who was King at the time had received the invitation. Bran came down with a rather serious illness though and was unable to attend the feast. Eist was supposed to be at sea on a voyage that had been planned for months. The only reason he delayed it was to visit Bran at my request since for a few days we did not think Bran would survive. Bran insisted that Eist go to your banquet to try to repair relations with the Northern Realms as he had planned too. And the rest… the rest is history.”

Calanthe stared at Mousesack for a moment, the memory of them meeting for the first time rushing back to her.

“It was strange when we met. I felt this pull to him. It was unlike anything that I had ever felt before.” Calanthe said quietly as she stared at her lap. Mousesack chuckled for a moment, causing Calanthe to look up and give him a pointed glare. “I don’t appreciate being made fun of.”

“I’m not, your Majesty.” Mousesack said. “It’s just, he felt the same about you.”

Mousesack stood then and made his way over to Eist, rolling him to the side to check his bandage.

“He’s still healing nicely. I’ll apply some salve to it later again.”

“But he’s still asleep?”

“Yes, he is.” Mousesack said as he walked back over to Calanthe. “I’m going to go down to the kitchens and get a bite to eat. Do you want anything.”

“No.” Calanthe said, shaking her head.

Mousesack sighed. “You really must start eating again.”

“I have no appetite.”

“I know, but you don’t want the King to find you have wasted away to nothing when he does wake.”

Calanthe smiled softly. Eist would indeed be upset if she lost weight. The thought was not enough to bring her appetite back though.

“I’ll eat something later.”

Mousesack sighed again. “Alright. I’ll be back in a bit to check on the King.”

He stood then and made his way out the door. Calanthe looked up out of the high windows in the infirmary. The sun still had not begun to rise yet. Mousesack would indeed be the first one in the kitchens that day. Calanthe stripped off her sleeping gown and then and sat herself down in the tub. The water was just lukewarm now and the steam had stopped rising from it. Calanthe sighed as she picked up a rag and began to wash herself, her eyes constantly flicking to Eist as she did.

She did not bother to wash her hair; it had been washed the previous day by a servant. The feeling of a servant washing her hair was unexpectedly difficult to bear. Eist had washed her hair himself since they wed. The feeling of someone else doing it now almost felt intrusive and wrong.

Calanthe rose then, not even attempting to relax in the tub. She dried herself quickly and went to a rack with a few casual dresses hung on it. She slipped one of them on and then made her way back to Eist. She climbed into bed, resting herself high on the pillows. Calanthe pulled him to rest against her chest as she lit another candle beside Eist’s bed before the current one burned out. She picked up a book that she had been reading to him then that was sitting beside the candle. It was a fictional tale about pirates lost at sea.

“Now, where were we?” Calanthe asked out loud as she found the page marked with a piece of ribbon and began to read.

\--

Calanthe fell asleep into the third chapter she read that early morning. She woke when she moved slightly in her sleep, causing the book to fall to the floor with a thud.

“Shit.” Calanthe whispered as she sighed, climbing out of bed to pick the fallen book up. “Now I don’t even know where we left off.” Calanthe muttered out loud to Eist as she picked the book up.

Calanthe stretched as she set the book down. The sun was bright now as it began to rise that morning. She turned then and decided to take her usual seat beside Eist. His hand was warm when she picked it up and held it in hers, looking at him as she did. His face was calm now, and his beard a little longer than before.

Suddenly his eyelashes fluttered, just slightly. Calanthe gasped softly and then felt Eist squeeze her hand. For a moment she sat in shock, wondering if she had imagined what she had just seen and felt. It would not have been the first time she had over these last five days.

Eist’s eyes opened then, squinting quickly as the harsh morning light fell over him. Calanthe stood abruptly to use herself to block out the sun as she leaned over him.

“Eist?” she whispered.

His blue eyes met hers and, in that moment, she knew she had never seen a more beautiful shade of blue in all her life. Eist smiled then and Calanthe felt herself melt. She pressed her lips to him fiercely, the feeling of his kisses warming her to her soul. Tears began to fall as she pulled away from him, just for a moment.

“I’ve missed you.”

It was the only thing she could think to say before she pressed her lips to his again. Relief flooded through her as they kissed, relief and happiness. Eist’s hands were holding her face then as he gently wiped her tears with his thumbs. Calanthe only wept harder.

“You’re okay.” Eist whispered softly against Calanthe’s lips.

Eist groaned then, just as he began to lift himself off the bed. Calanthe put her arms around him then, pulling him gently on his right side to prop him against the pillows.

“What happened?” Eist asked Calanthe while he sat on the edge of the bed.

Calanthe was unsure of how to respond at first, not knowing what he remembered and what he didn’t. Before she could respond though, the door opened to the infirmary. Crach walked through, yawning as he did with his battle axe slung over his back.

“Modron, would you like to have your morning meal brought up yet?” Crach looked up just as he finished his sentence, his eyes going wide as he smiled. “Uncle!” Crach shouted as he sprinted over to the bed Eist was lying on. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“Sore. Sore and hungry.”

The door to the infirmary opened again, only this time Mousesack walked through.

“Your Majesty!” Mousesack said as he quickly approached the group. “It’s good to finally see you awake!”

Eist smiled briefly before asking, “How long was I out for?”

“Five days, your Majesty.” Mousesack said.

“What do you want to eat, darling?” Calanthe asked as she smiled while she took both of his hands in hers.

“Anything.” Eist said as he offered her a small smile back.

Calanthe stood then and began to make her way to the door while Crach followed her like a shadow. When she opened the door, she stopped for a moment and turned back to Eist, smiling before leaving the infirmary.

“Come, Nephew.” Calanthe said when they left the infirmary.

“Where are we going?”

“The kitchens. The King has not eaten in five days and he is hungry.”

\--

Calanthe stood back as the chefs and kitchen aids quickly plated platters upon platters of food. Crach stood off to the side as well, occasionally picking up pieces of bacon and biscuits as he did.

“What?” Crach asked when Calanthe eyed him. “The King is not going to eat a pound of bacon himself.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes and then suddenly a wave of nausea ran through her.

“I’m going to step out into the hall for a moment.” Calanthe breathed out as she walked quickly past Crach, picking up a pot as she did.

She barely made it into the hall before vomiting.

“Modron? Are you alright?” Crach asked when he walked behind her and found her bent over as she spit.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe breathed just before vomiting in the pot again.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, just get me a glass of water, will you?”

Crach quickly slipped back into the kitchens and was back in a flash, spilling most of the water out of the goblet as he ran. Calanthe sipped at the water and spit it out, rinsing her mouth. When she stood again Crach was staring at her, unsure of what to say.

“Don’t mention this to the King.” Calanthe said as a servant walked out of the kitchens and took the pot.

“Why?” Crach asked.

“He just woke up. He needs to heal, and rest and he won’t do that if he hears that I am sick.”

Crach nodded as the food cart was wheeled out of the kitchen to them by a servant.

\--

“Are you sure you are alright, Modron?” Crach asked as they made their way back to the infirmary.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said as her hand grazed her stomach, just for a moment.

They soon reached the door which was opened by one of the Cintran guards on duty.

“Leave the cart here.” Calanthe said as she motioned to the makeshift dining table near Eist’s bed.

“We’ll leave you two alone.” Mousesack said as he motioned for Crach to follow him out of the infirmary.

Calanthe made her way to Eist, sitting beside him on the edge of the bed again.

“Your Majesty,” Mousesack said as he reached the door and turned back around. “You can get up if you’d like, stretch your legs maybe? I will be back to examine you again later.”

“Do you want to try to sit over there?” Calanthe asked as she motioned to the dining table after Mousesack left.

Eist nodded and with that Calanthe help him stand to make his way over to the table.

“Did you clear out the kitchens?” Eist joked when Calanthe began to lay platters of food in front of him.

Calanthe chuckled as she set a plate full of bacon down. “Everyone was so excited to hear that you were awake. It felt like the food was appearing out of nowhere.”

“What are you eating?” Eist asked as Calanthe sat down beside him, noticing that she was not putting any food on her plate.

“I’ll wait till you’re done.” Calanthe said as she smiled at him.

“Why? I know you’re hungry and there is enough food here to feed fifteen people. Eat.” Eist said as he motioned towards the food.

Calanthe sighed and placed a small amount of food on her plate. She was indeed hungry but the nausea she had felt earlier had not completely subsided yet.

“That’s all your eating?” Eist asked as he placed huge portions of food in front of himself.

“My stomach is just upset. I’ll eat more later.” Calanthe said as she took a small bite of her eggs, forcing them down her throat. “So, tell me darling, how do you feel? Are you in any pain?”

“My back is sore, but I suppose it will feel that way for a while.” Eist said as he slowly adjusted his shoulder in a circle, lifting it upward at first and then circling it back down, wincing as he did. “Fuck, that hurts.”

Calanthe dropped her fork and stood before Eist could protest and checked under his bandage.

“Am I bleeding again?”

“No, thank goodness.” Calanthe said as she took her seat beside him again.

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Eist devoured his food and quickly served himself more.

“You are really not hungry? Mousesack said you have not been eating much.” Eist said as he looked up at her, his brow furrowing.

Calanthe glowered for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she did. “Mousesack needs to mind his own business.”

Eist dropped his fork while taking a deep breath. “Mousesack is looking after you and you know it. Now why have you not been eating?”

“I told you my stomach is upset.”

Eist looked at her, tilting his head to the side as he clicked his tongue. “It’s been upset all week?”

“Yes!” Calanthe shouted as she stood, pushing her chair back so hard that it fell to the ground. “Forgive me for not having much of an appetite while you’re lying unconscious in an infirmary with a stab wound!”

Eist stood as everything Calanthe had been feeling over the last five days came to a head. Every ounce of worry, fear, pain, and guilt came rushing out of her at once. She had heard what Mousesack had said about why Eist pushed her out of the way, but it didn’t matter. She needed to hear it from Eist.

“Why did you do it?” She whispered as tears stung her eyes.

Eist took a step towards her and Calanthe chose to keep her ground and not step away from him.

“Do what?” He asked.

“You pushed me out of the way!” Calanthe yelled, her voice strong but shaking. “That blade was meant for me. It should have been me lying in that bed, not you!”

Eist took another step towards her and was now just one more step away from being able to reach her.

“Yes, I did push you out of the way.” Eist took another step then and reached to pull her into him. “And I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Calanthe felt herself begin to sob, shaking as she did. It felt like the guilt was pouring out of her now.

“I love you.” Eist whispered before pressing a kiss to her ear.

They stayed there, just as they were for a few moments as Calanthe’s breathing slowed and crying eased. Calanthe pressed herself further against Eist, clutching him as Eist began to stroke her back.

“I love you.” Eist whispered again. He repeated it over and over, as he leaned down and began to pepper her face with kisses. “I love you, and there is nothing I would not do for you.” Eist finished with a soft kiss pressed to her lips as he moved his arms from around her to hold her face in his hands, gently wiping her tears away with his thumbs as he did.

“You told me soon after we wed that you would probably get yourself killed trying to protect me.” Calanthe said as she sniffed and blinked to clear her eyes of the rest of her tears. “I should have known you were serious.”

Eist laughed for a moment as he pressed his lips to Calanthe’s again. It felt wonderful to hear his laugh again and it made her smile in return.

“Come on, let’s go for a walk. Mousesack said you haven’t left here since it happened.” Eist said as he put his arms around her again.

Calanthe nodded against his chest before turning her gaze up to him. “Eist?”

“Hmm?” He asked after he pressed another kiss to her lips.

“I love you too.” Calanthe hoped he understood just how much she meant it.

Eist pressed his forehead against hers but before he could speak, the door opened to the infirmary again.

“Your Majest…”

Eist sighed as Mousesack quickly turned around and began to make his way back out of the infirmary, clearly hoping he had not been seen.

“What is it Mousesack?” Eist asked as he pulled away from Calanthe until only his arm was around her waist.

Mousesack turned again, keeping his eyes to the ground as he approached the King and Queen.

“A letter has arrived for you, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he handed the letter to Calanthe.

Calanthe took the letter, turning it quickly in her hand to check the seal.

“It’s from Pavetta.” Calanthe said as she used her thumb to break the wax.

Eist moved so he was standing behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his jaw gently against her ear. Calanthe held the letter higher so he could read along with her.

When they both finished, Calanthe lowered the letter and raised her hand to squeeze one of Eist’s around her waist before pulling away from him and walking towards the closed off room at the opposite end of the infirmary.

The desk inside the room was askew with loose pieces of parchment. Calanthe picked up one of them and began to write a letter first to Pavetta, requesting that her daughter come back to Kaer Trolde. When she was finished, she set the letter aside to dry and then wrote a letter to Vissegerd to inform him that the king was awake. Once both letters were dry, she folded them neatly and sealed them before returning to Eist and Mousesack.

“Here,” Calanthe said as she handed several letters to Mousesack. “Get these to Pavetta and Vissegerd at once.”

Mousesack bowed and quickly left the room as Calanthe turned to Eist.

“It’s time for Pavetta to come back to Kaer Trolde.” Calanthe said as she put her arms around Eist. “And Vissegerd needs to know you’re awake. Otherwise he might send the entire Cintran army here to bring us back.”

Eist chuckled. “Well apparently he sent Danek and another three hundred troops. They arrived this morning.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes. “I don’t know where he thinks all these soldiers are supposed to go once they are here, or what he thinks they will do.”

“He is worried for you, that’s all. We will have to get back to Cintra soon.”

“We will.” Calanthe said as she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. “After this is over.”

\--

Calanthe had servants fill the tub in the infirmary so Eist could bathe and had clothes brought down for them to take a walk in. Calanthe watched as Eist removed his linen shirt and pants before climbing in the steaming water. Calanthe stayed outside the tub at first, sitting on a chair she had moved by the tub. Calanthe lathered soap in her hands and began to massage Eist’s scalp, cleaning his hair thoroughly. Occasionally she scraped her nails along his scalp, causing him to groan in delight. When she was done, she reached for a bucket of clean water and carefully poured it over him to rinse his hair.

“Lean your head back, darling.” Calanthe whispered.

Eist smirked as he rested his head back against her knees, his hair soaking her dress as he did. Calanthe cupped water in her hand and carefully began to spread it over his beard. She then lathered a small amount of soap in her hand and then carefully began to massage his jaw and cheeks. When she was finished, she began to use a damp cloth to carefully wipe the soap away. She looked down at him for a moment while his eyes were closed and smiled. His hair was wild, curling slightly even though it was wet as it naturally did before he slicked it back. His beard was thick and dark, just as his hair was. Calanthe had never seen Eist with a full beard before and she was pleased with how it looked on him.

Eist opened his eyes as Calanthe finished wiping the soap away. When her eyes met his, he smiled. _God’s she loved his smile._

“I need to shave.” Eist whispered.

“No.” Calanthe groaned as she leaned down to kiss him, even though he was upside down on her lap. She broke apart after a few minutes to lean up and meet his eyes again. “I like the beard.”

Eist smiled as he lifted his head off of her lap, prompting her to stand. “You do, huh?” Eist asked playfully.

“I do.” Calanthe said as she began to walk away to bring the clothes they were to change into closer to the tub.

“You’re not getting in?”

Calanthe turned, laughing softly when she saw Eist’s face. He looked thoroughly upset that she was not in the tub with him. She smiled softly as she walked to him, shaking her head in amusement as she pulled her dress over her head and tossed it to the side. A second bath that morning wouldn’t hurt anything. When she climbed in, she faced him at first, allowing him to rap his arms around her. He smiled as she reached up and ran her fingers over his cheek again, over his beard. Calanthe pressed herself against him, kissing him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, being gentler on his left side.

Eist and Calanthe broke apart after few moments, taking deep breaths to calm themselves. She turned in his arms then and Eist sighed as she nestled back against his chest.

“Alright, I’ll keep the beard.” Eist whispered.

“Good.” Calanthe whispered back.

Calanthe leaned her head back, turning it just slightly so her temple was pressed against his jaw. Eist kissed her temple and then nuzzled against her. Calanthe sighed in response as she leaned back into him, feeling as though she was melting.

\--

The sun was out as they made their way outside. A company of thirty men, led by Danek who was followed closely by Lazlo, followed the King and Queen as they made their way down the hill to a grassy knoll near the beach. Eist led her to a tree that stood by itself on top of the knoll. A rucksack that was filled was hoisted over Eist’s back, but Calanthe was not sure as to what was in it until they reached the tree.

“Do you want any men to stay with you?” Danek asked.

“No.” Eist said as he pulled the blankets out and handed one of them to Calanthe while spreading the other over the grass. “No, I would like all of you to be far enough away so you can’t see or hear anything.”

Danek blushed for a moment before quickly walking away to take up his post.

“What do you have planned, Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe said as Eist turned around to face her.

Eist smiled and leaned down, pecking a kiss on her lips as he took the blanket from her and sat down. Calanthe sat down across from him as Eist pulled out the wine and poured a glass, handing it to her. Eist settled his back against the tree as he poured his own glass and took a sip from it, closing his eyes as he did. The sound of the waves splashing against the sand and seagulls squawking filled the air. Calanthe smiled as she looked at Eist and then quickly finished her wine before she laid herself down to rest her back in his lap and prop her head against his stomach.

“Comfortable?” Eist asked as he smiled down at her. After a few moments Eist grabbed the blanket that she had laid down, forgotten beside them, and leaned down to drape it over her, covering her just below her neck before taking her hand.

“Are you in any pain?” Calanthe asked as Eist settled himself against the tree again.

“No, I am quite content.” Eist whispered as Calanthe picked up his hand that was wrapped around hers and held it to her mouth to kiss it.

“It’s so good to see you smiling again.” Calanthe whispered as she kissed his hand again, lacing their fingers together and bringing their hands to rest on her chest.

Calanthe closed her eyes as her body relaxed as she laid against Eist. The feeling of resting against him and his fingers laced with hers was enough to lull her to sleep.

\--

A small feast was held that night in the banquet hall to celebrate Eist’s return to good health. Eist had reached for Calanthe’s hand under the table as soon as they had sat down and they had been holding hands since.

Calanthe could feel her appetite coming back so she helped herself to heavy portions of food, feeling rather hungry from not eating much earlier in the day. She glanced at Eist periodically, feeling the tension practically drip off of him. Calanthe’s eyes flicked in between Eist, to the Skelligan musicians, to the dancers, and then back to Eist. It only took Calanthe another moment to realize he was scanning the room, assessing it for any danger.

“I don’t think there is any danger here, Darling.” Calanthe asked as she squeezed his hand.

Eist looked at her and offered her a small smile but was clearly not convinced.

“You want to go upstairs, don’t you?” Calanthe said as she glanced over at him again before turning her gaze back to the dancers.

“How do you know that?” Eist asked as he smirked at her.

“Because I know you don’t like these shindigs. Besides I can see you scanning the hall.” Calanthe said as she glanced back over at him. “We’ll leave in a little while.” Calanthe whispered.

“You know what we haven’t played in a while?” Eist asked after a few moments.

“Hmm?” Calanthe asked.

“Knucklebones.”

“Care for a game when we get upstairs?” Calanthe asked.

Eist turned to Calanthe and smirked in response.

\--

The air was becoming thick in the banquet hall inside Kaer Trolde as the festivities came to a head. Beer had been flowing freely and it was beginning to show on the faces around the room. Mousesack was laughing at a joke that Draig Bon-Dhu had told him and was turning a deep shade of red while he was doing so.

“I think Mousesack has had a bit too much to drink.” Calanthe said as Eist found her hand under the table again.

“Yes,” Eist chuckled. “I believe he has.”

Eist leaned back in his chair and then quickly sat up as he groaned.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked, turning to Eist.

“It’s fine.” Eist said as he rolled his shoulder. “It’s just stiff that’s all.”

Calanthe glanced back over at him, worried at his reaction.

“My love, I’m fine.”

Screaming erupted in the room then. Calanthe turned her head over to where the commotion was taking place to see Crach throwing punches with Olaf Stifvason. A small circle quickly formed around the two as they both threw drunken punches at each other. The Cintran guards that lined the walls of the banquet hall kept throwing glances at the fight and then to Eist and Calanthe, clearly unsure if they should intervene. Calanthe took a deep breath before standing, irritated at her nephews' poor choice of behavior.

“ _You are the Jarl of the mightiest navy on the Continent, you had better start behaving like it.”_ Calanthe thought to herself as she stood just as Eist began to stand himself.

“I’ll take care of it.” She said as she walked to one of her guards and held out her hand silently.

The guard stood for a moment, frozen, not knowing what Calanthe wanted.

“Give me your sword.” Calanthe commanded.

The guard bowed before quickly drawing his sword, handing it to her by its blade. Calanthe quickly made her way through the crowd of Skelligan’s. Calanthe was tall in her own right but was small compared to the Skelligan’s that towered over her as she walked. When they realized her presence, they began to bow as the circle of Skelligan’s parted for her.

When Calanthe arrived at the center of the circle, everyone except Crach and Olaf had bowed. The two men continued to swing, both so drunk they did not know she was there.

“Enough!” Calanthe screamed.

For a moment Crach looked at her. Calanthe glared at him, tensing her shoulders and lowering her gaze slightly as she did. Crach waved her off as he pulled out his axe. He fumbled with it for a moment as he almost dropped it to the floor. Calanthe tightened her grip on her sword, ready to swing if need be. Olaf pulled out his axe then too, grunting slightly as he struggled to get it out of its holster. The room had gone silent so as both men had drawn their axes, Calanthe could hear a chair scrape loudly against the floor as someone stood. She did not have to turn to see who it was. She knew it was Eist, ready to rush to her if he felt she was in danger. Both men swung their axes at each other then and when they met in the air, for just a moment the curved blades hooked together, becoming stuck. In a flash Calanthe raised her sword, bringing it from far behind her with both hands and swinging it high over her shoulder, slamming it directly into the axes still caught together. The vibration ripped through her hands when the blades met, but she had expected it and held on tight. Crach and Olaf had not though, and both dropped their axes suddenly when her blade hit theirs.

“Oy!” Olaf yelled at Calanthe, shaking his hand from the shock of the vibration.

Calanthe snapped her gaze to him. It took a moment for Olaf to focus on her, but when he did he clearly understood just who Calanthe was and how furious she was with him.

“Your Majesty!” Olaf said as he dropped to his knee. “I did not know it was you.”

“Clearly.” Calanthe said as she turned to Crach.

Crach was already on his knee, his head hung low.

“Get up, Nephew.” Calanthe said, her voice low and full of venom.

Crach stumbled as he stood, still not looking into Calanthe’s eyes.

Calanthe walked to a nearby table, the Skelligan’s parting for her as she did. She picked up a jug of water off the table and marched back to Crach, thrusting it into his hands.

“No more beer for the rest of the night.”

“Yes, Modron. I’m sorry.” Crach said as he took a sip of water.

Calanthe walked away then and made her way back up to where Eist was standing, handing the sword back to the guard as she did. She was so irritated she had wanted to smack Crach upside his head for his behavior, but she would not embarrass him like that in front of so many people. He was old enough to know how to properly behave. He was Jarl of the mightiest Navy on the Continent. It was not befitting of him to act like a drunken lout. Calanthe made her way up to Eist and stood close beside him when she reached him. For a moment he smiled warmly at her, but then he turned his eyes to Crach who had begun to approach their table. The warmth from Eist’s smile to her a moment ago was gone, replaced by clear dissatisfaction in his nephew’s behavior.

“I’m sorry Uncle.”

Eist crossed his arms over his chest and raised his head higher to look at his nephew, staying silent as he did. After a few moments, Crach nodded and walked away, sipping his water as he did while he took his seat again. The Skelligan’s returned to their seats then and soon the rowdiness of laughter ensued.

“Are you ready to pull a disappearing act yet?” Calanthe asked while they still stood.

Eist turned to her and smirked. “I’ve been ready all night long.”

\--

“Isn’t this a game for children?” Calanthe huffed as she lost their third game of knucklebones.

“You’re only saying that because you don’t like to lose.”

“No, I bloody well don’t.”

They were sitting on a rug in front of their fire in the sitting room, the mat from their game spread out between them. Calanthe had changed into one of Eist’s linen shirts and had let her hair down, flowing over her shoulders and down her back in waves. Eist sat shirtless and in his linen pants, the bandage finally removed from being wrapped around his chest and back.

Eist chuckled again, “Do you want to stop playing?”

“No.” Calanthe sighed as she handed the knucklebones back to him. “I won’t get any better if I don’t keep trying.”

“Very true, my love.” Eist whispered as he picked up a nearby mule and took a sip of beer.

Calanthe shifted how she was sitting then, draping her legs out to the side of her as she rested on her thigh and supported herself up by her hand resting on the ground. Eist cleared his throat as he slightly adjusted how he was sitting.

“We’ll play a few more times, but then we should get to bed.” Eist said as he drained his mule.

“Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny should arrive in the afternoon.” Calanthe said.

“Yes, and the dock worker from Cintra should be here in the morning. I want to hear what he has to say.” Eist said as he picked up the knucklebones and tossed them into the air again.

\--

“Alright, I give up.” Calanthe said after Eist won their last two games.

Eist chuckled as he got to his feet and stretched his shoulder again. She watched him intently as desire began to run through her. She could feel her cheeks getting hot and knew she was flushing. She had missed his strong arms around her, his chest pressed against hers. He offered her his hand then to help her stand. She took it, but only to hold it.

“I’ve missed sleeping with you.” Calanthe said, rubbing her thumb against his hand.

Before he could say anything else Calanthe let go of his hand as she got on her knees and crawled to him. When she was directly underneath him, she pulled at the fabric of his pants around his legs. After a few tugs, his pants were pooling at his ankles, his quickly hardening member bouncing free as Calanthe wrapped her hands around his thighs and her mouth around him.

She could feel his hands in her hair as she took half of him into her mouth and then pulled back, letting him fall from her mouth before sucking just the tip of him in again and humming. A moan fell from Eist’s mouth as she felt him lean over her slightly. She took him halfway into her mouth again, still humming, while she enjoyed the sound of Eist panting above her. He pulled out of mouth her then, stepping back quickly as he leaned down and placed his hands underneath her arms and easily picked her up.

“Let’s go to bed.” He whispered, his voice raspy.

Calanthe could feel Eist’s fingers graze her thighs and buttocks as he found the edge of the linen shirt she wore and lifted if off of her. When they reached the bed, she turned and sat on the edge of it so she was facing him as she spread her legs wide. Eist stood over her for a moment, gazing down into her with unbridled passion burning in his eyes. Calanthe felt her center throb as he stood over her and reached his hand down, grazing over her center. She was already wet for him, causing a sly smirk to appear on his face when his fingers lightly flicked over her. His hands were on her hips then, holding her as he entered her quickly and laid her on her back. Calanthe lifted her legs to wrap around him, gripping him tightly as he began to thrust in and out of her gently. She lifted her hands then to run up the back of his neck and get lost in his hair as he began to kiss her madly.

Eist’s kisses were somehow soft yet urgent, gentle yet rough. In that moment her mind wandered back to Eist lying in the bed in the infirmary, vomiting one minute and lifeless the next. She remembered holding him at night, clutching him to her, willing him to wake again. The pain she had felt was unlike anything she had felt before. She forced her mind back to his kisses then, kisses that she had thought she might never feel again. Calanthe realized then that she had begun crying as pleasure and happiness swelled in her.

Eist stood up from where he had kept his feet braced against the floor, attempting to pull out of her but she kept her legs locked tightly around him.

“Please.” Calanthe breathed out as she reached for him, grabbing onto his arms and pulling him back down. “Please stay like this.”

Eist leaned down over her again, breaking free of her gentle grasp to take her face in his hands as he slowed his thrusts. The way he looked at her was making her weak. She wondered for a moment if Eist truly understood the effect he had on her.

“My love, if you are in pain we should stop.” Eist whispered as he kissed her gently on the lips.

“I’m not in pain.” Calanthe breathed as her hands moved to rest on the sides of his face too. He didn’t understand. “I’m happy. I… I thought I was going to lose you. I thought everything was over, that you were gone…”

Eist pressed his lips to hers, his tongue entering her open mouth, flicking against her own tongue.

“I’m here.” Eist whispered as he parted from her. “I’m here and I’m alright, we both are.”

He looked into her eyes then as tears continued to pool.

“I love you.” Calanthe breathed out, praying he understood just how much she did.

Eist deepened his thrusts as his right hand left her cheek and made its way down to please her. “I love you too.” Eist whispered as he placed a gentle kiss to her while his finger began to stroke her clit.

Calanthe’s mouth opened for a moment as his finger tenderly stroked her. Her hips spasmed then as she jerked into him as a rush of pleasure ran through her.

Eist traced his lips down her neck until they found the tender spot between her neck and shoulder that she favored so much. Calanthe began to thrust her hips into the air, meeting his as she began to come. Her moans and screams filled the air as Eist slowed his thrusts as he stroked her intently while her orgasm waned. Soon her head was falling back as he flicked his finger faster than before over her, barely grazing the tip of her clit as he did.

“Eist.” Calanthe moaned out as she attempted to squirm away from him.

His other hand left her face then to brace itself on her hip to hold her in place. She was right on the edge again, and he knew it.

“Come for me.” Eist whispered as his finger continued its light flicks.

Calanthe screamed then as her hips thrashed against Eist’s grip and his thrusts. When it was over, she collapsed back against the bed, her body flushed and sweating as she shook. He reached his thumb down just slightly, running it between her lips as he thrusted in and out of her too wet it with her own juices before moving it back up to trace circles around the edges of her clit.

“It’s too much.” Calanthe breathed out as she squirmed beneath him.

She felt as though she would pass out at any moment. Her body had begun to ease its shaking, but her thighs did not. She breathed heavily as she tried to catch her breath while Eist circled her clit continuously. Calanthe was already close again.

“What’s too much?”

“You’re too good at that.” Calanthe breathed out again as she began to gasp.

Eist quickened the circles around her clit as Calanthe felt him adjust the angle he was thrusting into her with. He began to press against her with his member at just the right spot inside of her. Calanthe could feel the pressure building quickly inside of her as he began to thrust slower and harder just as she liked, never breaking his rhythm. The circles on her clit quickened even more as Calanthe’s back arched high into the air as she came again, this time screaming at the top of her lungs. As her orgasm waned, Eist braced himself by holding onto both of her hips and pounded himself into her. One hand left her hip for a moment as he strummed his fingers over her clit and when she started screaming again moments later, he pulled out of her as she squirted, her hips thrusting against his fingers as she did.

Calanthe collapsed back into the bed when it was over, her body flushed more than before and covered in sweat. She was shaking, losing control as her body spasmed from the repeated, continuous orgasms. Eist entered her again and laid himself down on top of her, kissing her as he filled her. Soon he was coming, screaming her name as he held her close to him.

When it was over, they laid there for a while as he softened inside of her, eventually slipping out. Calanthe fought to stay awake, enjoying the feeling of Eist lying on top of her. Eist nuzzled her for a moment before getting up, stretching as he stood and pulling down their bedcovers for them to climb in. As he pulled the covers down, Calanthe attempted to stand but her legs quickly gave out, causing her to stumble. Eist caught her and pulled her into him.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked as he pulled her against his chest.

“It seems my legs are a little weak.” She whispered as she pressed a kiss to his chest before looking up at him again and raising her brow, “I wonder why that could be?”

“I have absolutely no idea.” Eist whispered back playfully before helping her to lay down in bed.

Calanthe was pulled gently into Eist’s arms after he nestled himself against the pillows. He spread his legs, letting her choose if she wanted to lay against his side or up the middle of him. She chose the middle, smiling as she rested herself against him.

“You better sleep well tonight.” Calanthe whispered as she laid her head on his right shoulder, his chin pressed against her forehead, his beard providing a subtle prickling sensation that caused a ripple of contentment to run through her.

“I will.” Eist said as he took a deep breath, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “I will as long as I can hold you just like this.”

Eist kissed her temple as his fingers slowly began to trace their way up and down her back. She smiled for a moment and then just as quickly began to close her eyes as sleep began to take her.

“I love you.” Calanthe breathed out just before she fell asleep.


	21. Chapter 11A - Eist

**Chapter 11A – Eist**

**Year – 1256**

A sudden gust of cold air and a sharp banging sound woke Eist with a start. His eyes jerked open as he looked around, trying to focus on what had caused the noise. He looked over at the window then to see that the cover had blown open with a harsh burst of chilled winter air. He groaned as the cold air quickly filled the room. He huffed as he climbed out from underneath Calanthe, who had fallen asleep against his right shoulder.

Eist crossed the room quickly and snapped the window covers shut, ensuring that they were properly latched, and making a mental note that he needed to have them replaced. He crossed the room then and went to the fire, tossing on a few more logs to warm the room faster. He quickly returned to the bed then, pleased to see that Calanthe was still fast asleep. Eist sighed as he climbed under the covers and pulled Calanthe into his arms as he laid down beside her. She shifted, but just for a moment and then settled quickly against him. He smiled softly as he pressed his cheek against hers and promptly fell back to sleep.

\--

The sound of vomiting could faintly be heard from the privy chamber when Eist woke for the second time early that morning. He instinctively reached his hand across the bed for Calanthe even though he knew full well that she wasn’t there. He sighed then as Calanthe’s vomiting ceased. For a moment he thought about getting up and going to her, but the privy door was shut, which was unusual. In the past when she had gotten sick, she would keep the door open, even if it was only ajar.

Eist repositioned himself back to how he was when he first woke and sighed, waiting for Calanthe to come out, only she didn’t. He frowned as he eyed the door, wondering if she was okay. He closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to fight off sleep when the privy chamber door opened. He kept his eyes closed as he heard Calanthe move quickly across the floor and back to their bed. She climbed in quickly and gently as she snuggled next to him again. He fought off the smile that threatened to cross his face as she ever so gently pecked a kiss to his lips before resting her head against is. He heard her sigh with contentment just before they both fell back to sleep.

\--

Eist and Calanthe were awoken early to receive the dock worker from Cintra. The pair bathed, dressed quickly, and made their way down to the private banquet hall where the dock worker was requested to wait with Mousesack.

“Your Majesties,” Mousesack said as he stood and bowed as Eist and Calanthe entered the banquet hall. “This is Vios Nirwen, the dock worker from Cintra.”

Vios bowed awkwardly, clearly unsure if he should break his eye contact with Calanthe as he did.

“Please, sit. Have you eaten?” Eist asked as he motioned for Vios to return to his seat.

“No, your Majesty. I have only just arrived.”

Eist looked at one of the servants that was stationed at the door near the back of the banquet hall that led to the kitchens. “See when breakfast is going to be served, will you?”

Eist and Calanthe began to approach the table and when they reached it, Eist pulled Calanthe’s chair out for her before taking the seat beside her. Eist took his chair and moved it closer towards Calanthe so that they were so close that their arms were almost touching.

“How was your journey?” Calanthe asked.

“It was fine, your Majesty, thank you. If I may say so, I am glad to see that you are both well.”

“Why would we not be well, sir?” Calanthe asked.

“Forgive me your Majesty, but in Cintra there is much talk of a hydra attacking the King on his journey here, but he slayed the beast himself. Your ship was apparently destroyed upon your arrival in Skellige due to a terrible storm. I was there when the bodies of the Cintran sailors were brought home. That was a sad day indeed.”

“You know why you are here then?” Eist asked as he leaned back in his chair.

“I do. You have questions about two men that worked on the docks with me? I can only imagine the trouble that they are in.”

“Trouble?” Calanthe asked.

“Yes, your Majesty. If you and the King are inquiring about them, they must have done something rather stupid, or rather terrible.”

“One of them has done something terrible indeed, he tried to kill your Queen and almost killed me instead. Now I need to know everything about them. No detail is too small.”

Vios’s eyes went wide but before he could respond, the back door to the banquet hall opened as servants began to walk through, carrying platters of food.

Eist could see Vios eyeing the food and realized how hungry he must be from his journey. Seafaring journeys were exhausting and meant little to no eating for most men. When Vios went to begin to speak again, Eist held up his hand to stop him.

“Let’s eat before we continue, shall we?” Eist said.

“We’ll serve ourselves.” Calanthe said as the final platter was set down.

As they plated their food, Eist glanced over to see that Calanthe had barely served herself anything. Eist’s brow furrowed. This was well over a week that his wife had barely any appetite, and she had vomited this morning. He looked up at her then, eyeing her closely. She met his eyes then and smiled out of the corner of her mouth before quickly taking a bite. Eist furrowed his brow as he pondered what could be causing her stomach to be upset for so long. Only one thing kept coming to mind.

Eist kept his thoughts to himself as the group finished the rest of their meal in silence, with Calanthe pushing her plate away from her before anyone else. Eist set down his fork then as he reached over and grazed the side of her thigh softly before letting his hand drop to his side. There was no tablecloth to conceal his hand and he would not embarrass her by resting it on her thigh uncovered. Her fingers grazed the back of his hand then as it hung next to hers, just for a moment. He turned to her and smirked just as she looked away.

“So, you know both of the men that disappeared, Tristan and Reqard?” Calanthe asked as Vios and Mousesack finished their meals.

“Yes, your Majesty.” Vios said.

“Could you recognize them if you saw them again?” Eist asked.

“Yes, I believe I could.”

“Is there anything you remember about either one of them, anything that stands out?” Mousesack asked as he sipped his beer.

Vios sighed. “They were young. Both of them said they were from the South, which seemed a bit odd. No one was sure why they were working on a ship in Cintra if they were from the South. Uh, let’s see, Tristan was the one with the dark hair and brown eyes. Reqard had blonde hair and green eyes. Both were taller lads.”

Calanthe sighed. This was information that they already knew.

“Did you see them talking to anyone in particular?” Eist asked as he twirled his fork in his hands.

Eist watched Vios carefully. Something seemed off about him. For a moment Eist thought that Vios was fidgeting, almost as if he was nervous.

“At the docks? No, your Majesty. They mostly kept to themselves, but they were usually together. They were working on the ship that you sailed over in, your Majesty.” Vios said, motioning to Eist.

“And then they just disappeared one day?” Calanthe asked.

“Yes.” Vios said as he shrugged.

Mousesack stroked his beard in silence while Eist sighed, leaning forward in his seat and resting his left elbow on the table while he pressed his palm to his forehead. He glanced to the side then and could see that Calanthe was steadying herself as she turned paler than usual for just a moment before taking a shaky breath.

“There is something else. I don’t know if it’s important though.” Vios said quietly.

Eist moved his gaze from Calanthe to Vios.

“I think Reqard, the blonde one, I think he was a magic user.”

“Why do you think that?” Mousesack asked.

“Because, Reqard completed a lot of work unnaturally quickly. He finished jobs that should have taken five men a week to complete, but he would finish by himself in less than a day. I can’t prove anything, but it was just odd.”

“Your Majesties, can I see you for a moment?” Mousesack said as he stood.

Eist stood just before Calanthe did, stepping back so Calanthe could walk in front of him. They followed Mousesack out into the hall and into a nearby empty room.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked when Mousesack shut the door to the room they had just entered.

“I think Vios is right. Reqard may possess magical abilities.”

“And what makes you think that?” Eist asked as he put his hand around Calanthe’s waist.

“Between what Vios said about his impressive ship building skills and the hydra appearing in Skelligan waters, well, I think he may be on to something.” Mousesack said.

“So, what do we do?” Eist asked as he gently tightened his grip around Calanthe as he moved closer to her.

“I don’t know.” Mousesack said.

“Well, we can’t leave him sit in there all day.” Calanthe said as she motioned towards the door. “I don’t think there is anything else we can learn from him. We may as well let him rest and he can be on the first ship back to Cintra tomorrow.”

Eist nodded as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Would you like him to be put in the guest quarters?” Mousesack asked as he headed for the door while Eist and Calanthe followed him.

“Yes, that will do. But take him to identify the body first. I want to find out if it was indeed Tristan that attacked the Queen.” Eist said as he and Calanthe reached the door.

When they entered the banquet hall again, Vios was sitting where they left him, looking around the room as he finished his third plate of food.

“Thank you for coming. The Queen and I very much appreciate it.” Eist said.

“Of course, your Majesty.” Vios said as he stood.

“Mousesack will take you to your guest quarters. You are welcome to explore Kaer Trolde as you see fit. Tomorrow morning, we will ensure you are on the first ship back to Cintra and are well compensated for making the journey.”

“Thank you, your Majesty!” Vios said as he bowed.

Mousesack quickly led Vios out of the room then, leaving Eist and Calanthe there alone.

“You didn’t tell him about the body.” Calanthe said after Mousesack shut the door behind him.

“I know. I want him to be caught off guard.”

“Why?” Calanthe asked as she looked up at Eist.

“I don’t trust him.” Eist said as he reached forward and took Calanthe’s in his.

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, I just have a feeling.” Eist said as he turned his gaze down to Calanthe and leaned down, kissing her lightly on the lips.

As they made their way back to their chambers Eist could not quite understand his own distrust towards Vios, but he could not shake the feeling that something seemed off about him.

\--

“Where did those come from?” Eist asked as he followed Calanthe into their chambers and sat down to a pile of books on their center table. Eist picked up the top one and quickly flipped through it.

“I read to you when you were in the infirmary. I was rather interested in the last book I had been reading before you woke up.”

Eist smiled as he flipped through the book he held in his hands.

“Yes, Mousesack mentioned that.” Eist said as he looked over at Calanthe. “And which book was it that piqued your interest so much?”

Eist set the book he was holding back on the top of the pile as he pushed the stack of books closer to Calanthe before he leaned back on the couch.

“It was this one.” Calanthe said as she moved a few books aside to find the one in the middle and handed it to Eist.

Eist read the title aloud, “ _The Tales of the Pirates Lost at Sea._ Well unfortunately I don’t remember any of it.” Eist said as he set the book on his lap. “I hope you did not get too far into the book, seeing as how we will have to start over, so I know what’s going on.”

Eist smiled warmly at Calanthe as she turned to look at him. She picked up the book off of his lap as she curled against his chest and pulled her feet to rest on the couch. Eist propped his own feet up on the table in front of them as he settled back on the couch.

“Here,” Eist said as he gently took the book from her hands. “I’ll start and we can take turns between chapters.”

Eist smiled to himself for a moment as he felt Calanthe wrap her left arm around his back and rest the other on his stomach. He leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head before he held the book off to the side and began to read aloud to her.

\--

They were two chapters into the book when the twelfth bell rang. Soon after, a knock sounded at their door.

Eist sighed heavily before sitting up from the couch as he handed the book to Calanthe.

“Your Majesties? Would you like your mid-day meal brought to you?”

“Yes.” Eist said.

“I was also asked to give you this.”

Eist took the small piece of parchment and opened it.

“It’s from the Harbor Master,” Eist said as he walked back to the couch and sat down. “Pavetta’s ship should be arriving into port within a few hours. We can head down after we eat.” Eist said as Calanthe leaned against him while he pressed a kiss to her temple and picked up their book again.

\--

The cold winter air was harsh as it blew off the sea. Eist had tried to convince Calanthe to wait inside the castle walls until Pavetta’s ship docked but Calanthe refused, she wanted to see them come into the harbor herself. Pavetta’s ship was close enough now that Eist could see Ciri in Pavetta’s arms, on the deck in her fur hat, waving repeatedly at Eist and Calanthe who were standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Eist chuckled as he waved back to Ciri.

“I missed that kid.” Eist whispered as he looked at Calanthe. “And I need to get you inside soon.”

“And why is that?” Calanthe asked as she raised her brow.

“Your nose is turning red from the cold.” Eist said as he leaned down and placed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose.

“Eist! Not here!” Calanthe said as she jabbed Eist lightly in the arm with her elbow.

“What?” Eist asked as Calanthe looked back up at him, a smile pulling slightly at the corners of her mouth. “You look like you need to be warmed up, that’s all.” Eist playfully said.

“You can warm me up all you want, once we are inside.” Calanthe whispered back.

“I’m going to hold you to that.” Eist whispered back.

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

\--

Soon Eist and Calanthe stood at the edge of the dock as the gangplank was drawn. It only took a second for in to be down for Calanthe to all but run and capture Ciri into her arms. While Calanthe held Ciri, Eist walked to Pavetta and Duny.

Pavetta teared up immediately when Eist began to approach her. “I was rather worried about you, you know?” Pavetta said as she hugged Eist.

He smiled back for a moment before pulling away from her.

“I’m fine, it really was not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?” Pavetta exclaimed lightly. “You were stabbed and unconscious for five days.”

Eist shrugged. “Well I’m fine now, thanks to Mousesack and your Mother who you may want to go see before she gets cross.”

Eist smiled as Pavetta quickly walked to Calanthe as Eist made his way to Duny.

“You didn’t have any trouble on Undvick, did you?” Eist asked.

Duny chuckled for a moment. “Not at all, it seems you had far more trouble than we did.”

“You can say that again.” Eist said as he shook his head.

Eist looked over at Calanthe and Ciri again and smiled when Ciri leaned around Calanthe and spotted him.

“Here you go, little cub.” Calanthe said as she walked to Eist and handed Ciri over to him before walking back to Pavetta and Duny who had now joined them.

“Grandpapa!” Ciri exclaimed as she sat up in Eist’s arms.

“I missed you little pup.” Eist whispered.

“I missed you too. I brought seashells back from Undvick!”

“You did?” Eist said as he smiled at how excited Ciri was.

“Yes! Uncle Bran put them in a chest for me so I could show you!”

Bran walked up then from the stairway leading to the bowels of the ship.

“Brother!” Bran said as he clasped Eist on the back. “This little granddaughter of yours is quite the firecracker, you know that?” Bran said as he tickled Ciri on her side, causing her to burst into a fit of laughter.

Eist smiled as Ciri rested her head against his shoulder after her laughter subsided. He began to make his way back to Calanthe then as he held Ciri tight in his arms.

\--

Eist and Calanthe returned to their chambers after Pavetta, Duny, and Ciri retired to theirs to rest after their journey. Crach had come down a little after their arrival to visit as well, which kept all of them at the harbor even longer as Crach chased Ciri around while she giggled like mad.

When they returned to their room, Eist pulled Calanthe into his arms as soon as their door was shut behind them.

“So, do you still need warming up?” Eist whispered as he leaned down and began to alternate between soft kisses and light sucking at the curve of Calanthe’s neck.

Calanthe moaned in response as her hands made their way to his hair. Eist’s hands made their way around her back and began to undo the top button at the back of her dress when a harsh knock sounded at their door.

“Your Majesties!”

Calanthe’s head snapped up. She pulled away from Eist after she pecked a small kiss to his lips before she stepped towards the door and opened it.

“Vissegerd? Is that you?”

Vissegerd stood there, exhausted and out of breath.

“Where is Vios?” Vissegerd asked urgently.

“What are you talking about? Why are you hear?” Calanthe asked as she took a step towards him.

“Your Majesty, I mean no disrespect, but this is no time for pleasantries. Where is Vios?”

“I don’t know for sure.” Calanthe said as she shook her head. “Mousesack took him to his guest quarters hours ago, but he could be anywhere in Kaer Trolde.”

“We must find him, immediately.” Vissegerd said before he pushed his way inside and shut the door behind him.

“Why? What has happened.” Eist asked.

“He is not Vios Nirwen, at least not anymore. He is a doppler.”

“How do you know that?” Calanthe asked as she tensed.

“His body was found late last evening. When I went to the Cintran Harbor master to enquire if anyone had left on the last ship to Skellige, I was told Vios had. It is the only thing that makes sense. We also believe we have found the body of Reqard; stuffed in a crate inside Vios’s home where the doppler was living. He was dead for some time, at least a few weeks. As soon as I realized what was happening, I set sail for Skellige immediately.”

“I don’t understand.” Calanthe said as her head began to spin.

“I’ll explain later, your Majesty, but for right now we must find Vios.”

\--

Eist and Calanthe kept their swords in their rooms even while they kept their armor in the armory. With swords in hand, Eist first led them to find Mousesack, with Calanthe in the middle and Vissegerd following closely behind. The guards that they passed were quickly dismissed. It was no use having a small brigade go after the doppler in his quarters. After retrieving Mousesack, the four of them, still led by Eist, made their way quickly to the dopplers guest chamber, hoping that he was inside.

“The door is just down here.” Eist whispered when he slowed his pace. When they reached the door, Mousesack pulled it open and stepped to the side as Eist, Calanthe, and Vissegerd burst in.

“Your Majesties?” The doppler said as he stood from where he sat on the couch.

Eist could have sworn his vision turned red for a moment when he made eye contact with the doppler, with the man who looked exactly like Vios had. He had eaten with him mere hours ago, eaten with the creature who was a threat to his wife’s life.

“Come here, you little shit.” Eist growled as he grabbed the doppler by the throat and dragged him across the room to Calanthe’s feet.

Eist kicked the back of the dopplers knees then so he was kneeling before her. The doppler cried out at first, but when Eist twisted his arms backwards, he began to laugh.

“Why?” Calanthe asked.

“You have upset a lot of people, you know that?” The doppler said as he laughed.

“Like who?” Eist asked as he twisted the doppler’s arms a little more, not being remotely worried if he broke them or not.

“Oh, there are too many to count. You’re Skelligan alliance has you holding far too much power for most people’s liking, Lioness of Cintra. I won’t be the last one to come for you.”

Calanthe smiled as she kneeled down, her face mere inches from the dopplers.

“Well, since this is the end for you, won’t you tell me who sent you?” Calanthe asked as she set her blade on the ground and pulled her dagger from her belt.

“No!” The doppler exclaimed before laughing. “No, that would go against the contract!”

Eist twisted the dopplers arms more, causing a sickening snap to fill the air as the doppler screamed.

“What contract?” Calanthe asked as the doppler began to laugh again.

“Well, let’s just say that there are an awful lot of people in the South who are not a fan of yours.”

The sarcasm that dripped from the doppler’s tone did not go unnoticed. Calanthe nodded as the doppler hung his head and laughed again.

“Thank you for the warning.” Calanthe said as she put the point of her dagger underneath the dopplers chin, guiding him to look at her again.

“What warning?” The doppler asked as his expression became serious again.

Calanthe smiled. “You said that you would not be the last one to come for me. Without that knowledge, I may have let my guard down. Because of you, I will remain ever vigilant.” Calanthe whispered.

And with that she turned her dagger and plunged it through the doppler’s jugular, killing him instantly.

\--

Eist insisted on having the body of the doppler incinerated. He knew he was becoming paranoid again, but he wanted to be sure that the threat of the doppler was gone. After it was over Calanthe, Vissegerd, Mousesack and himself went to regroup in he and Calanthe’s chambers. Eist was growing tired of the threats and for a moment fantasized about taking Calanthe, getting on a ship, and sailing far away where no one would know who they were.

When they entered their chambers, Calanthe sat on the couch and Eist promptly sat beside her, so close that their thighs were pressed together. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him, not giving a damn that Vissegerd and Mousesack were present.

“Will someone please explain to me what the Hell is going on?” Eist said to Vissegerd.

“Her Majesty was to set sail for Skellige with you. A small amount of people had begun preparing for what was supposed to be the entire Cintran royal family sailing to Skellige. However, those plans changed.” Vissegerd said as he took a seat on the couch across from Eist and Calanthe.

“Yes, we know all that.” Eist said as he ran his right hand through his hair while still keeping his left arm around Calanthe’s waist.

“But we were not entirely certain on the rest until now, Tristan and Reqard, who had been hired to work on the docks, were working on the ship that you sailed on.” Vissegerd said, motioning to Eist. “Soon after you set sail, they disappeared.”

“And no one thought that strange?” Calanthe asked.

“Not at all, your Majesty. It happens frequently. It was thought that they had found better means of employment. After the King sets sail is when I believe the doppler killed Reqard.”

“But why, what was his motive?” Mousesack asked.

“I don’t know, but we have no reason to believe that Tristan and Reqard were working with the doppler. They could have been hired separately, almost like bounty hunters.”

“Okay,” Eist said as he groaned. “So now there are bounty hunters being hired to kill the Queen?”

“It’s not unusual, not in courts such as these.” Vissegerd said as he turned to Eist.

Eist snorted as he muttered under his breath “Of course it’s not fucking unusual” while he shook his head. Eist felt Calanthe press herself further against him and rest her hand against his lower back. Eist took a shallow breath, allowing the feeling of Calanthe’s hand resting gently against him to calm him.

“So, if Reqard was the one with magical abilities, then how did the hydra appear in Skelligan waters?” Mousesack asked as he stood and began to pace in front of the fire, his brow furrowed.

“Think about it,” Vissegerd said. “We don’t know if Reqard was able to use magic at all. We only know that from the doppler, and I would not call him a reliable source of information. I am guessing that the doppler himself teleported the hydra there, but I don’t know for sure, and we probably never will.”

Eist dropped his hand to Calanthe’s hip and began to softly stroke his thumb against her. “Okay, so if what you are saying is correct then how did Tristan get to Skellige?”

“He could have stowed away on a ship, Hell he could have been on your ship for all we know, or he could have sailed here himself.”

“You believe the doppler caused the storm too?” Calanthe asked.

“I doubt that, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he shook his head from where he stood, cutting Vissegerd off before he could speak. “Causing something like that would take an extraordinary amount of magical abilities. It’s not impossible, but it is doubtful.”

“So, who caused the fucking storm then?” Eist snapped. He was tired of talking and wanted to get to the bottom of this.

“I don’t know, your Majesty.” Mousesack said carefully. “I would assume it was a mage though. There are a lot of kingdoms that employ mages that would love to control the most powerful force in the land. Do you have any ideas, Vissegerd?”

“No, and I agree with you. I know very little about magic, but from what I had heard that storm was immensely powerful. We could see blips of it off the coast of Cintra, and it looked terrifying even from where we stood.”

“So, the ship crashes and weeks later Tristan attacks? The guards were gone, and the torches were out before I went out to find you. There was no way he could have known that I would leave my quarters that night.” Calanthe said as she looked as Mousesack.

“Maybe he had no intentions of attacking you in the hall.” Eist said as he pressed his hand a little firmer against Calanthe’s hip. “The torches were out by our chambers and our guards were gone as well. He could have intended on coming into our chambers for all we know, we just happened to meet him in the hall instead.”

Calanthe shook her head. “So Tristan attacks, I kill him, and the doppler is still in Cintra all this time, still posing as Reqard?”

“No, Reqard is dead at this point. I believe at this point the doppler was posing as Vios.”

“What did the doppler say when you showed him Tristan’s body, anyway? Eist asked, motioning to Mousesack as he did.

“He only identified him as Tristan, but that was all.” Mousesack responded.

“But why? Why did Vios, I mean the doppler, stay in Cintra all that time?” Calanthe asked.

“Maybe he thought Tristan would fail and thought he could use that to his own advantage. Honestly a lone assassin, or bounty hunter, or whatever you want to call him was unlikely to kill you. Between your own fighting abilities, the Kings protectiveness over you, and the Skelligan’s loyalty to you, he was never likely to succeed.”

“Except he almost did.” Calanthe said.

Eist glanced over to see tears in Calanthe’s eyes. He leaned down then and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Yes, unfortunately he almost did.” Vissegerd said softly. “And when I went looking for anyone who would know about Tristan or Reqard, the doppler made himself known.”

“He was pulling the strings all along?” Mousesack asked.

“Yes, but someone else was pulling his. The question is, who?” Calanthe asked.

\--

Crach had arraigned for a small dinner to be put together now that the entire family was finally in one place. Calanthe, Eist, and Vissegerd were the last to arrive to the banquet hall. Apparently Pavetta seeing Vissegerd unexpectedly in Skellige was enough to cause her to go into a whirlwind of panic.

“Why are you here?” Pavetta all but screamed when Vissegerd entered.

“Pavetta, we can explan…” Calanthe said calmly.

“He would not leave Cintra unless you were still in danger, Mother!” Pavetta shouted, interrupting Calanthe as she stood.

The air around them began to move, even though the windows were shut.

“Darling, maybe let the Queen explain?” Duny asked quietly as he stood, putting his hand gently on top of Pavetta’s.

Eist could see Mousesack become tense behind Pavetta as the air began to move more than before, creating an unnatural breeze.

“Well? Why are you here, sir?” Pavetta asked, crossing her arms and looking at Vissegerd.

“Your highness, I came because a doppler arrived this morning who was attempting to kill the Queen.”

“What?” Pavetta screamed.

The wind began to pick up rapidly then as the plates that had been laid down began to lift off the table. Eist followed Calanthe’s gaze to see Ciri looking up at her mother, terrified, and begin to cry. Before Eist could grab Calanthe, she was dashing towards Ciri as she ducked to avoid flying debris. Eist began to follow her and just then the wind began to pick up. Calanthe barely had her arms around Ciri when she was blown backwards and slammed into Eist. Eist groaned as the wind was knocked out of him as he landed on his back against the stone floor with Calanthe and Ciri on top of him.

Eist blinked and pushed the pain from his mind as he felt Calanthe begin to lift herself while she held Ciri. He grabbed Calanthe immediately and pushed her behind him to shield her. Calanthe had Ciri pressed underneath her as the little princess began to scream while Eist threw himself on top of Calanthe just as the glass windows began to shatter around the room.

It was over almost as soon as it started. Eist climbed off of Calanthe as soon as the wind stopped. Eist stood before anyone else to see Pavetta lying limp and being held up by Mousesack who had his hands underneath her arms.

“Pavetta?” Eist asked softly as he took a step towards her.

“Pavetta?” Calanthe all but screamed her name as she clamored upward with Ciri still screaming in her arms. She quickly but carefully made her way over shards of broken glass and bits of furniture to her daughter.

“She’s under a sleeping spell, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he took several deep breaths.

Duny was on his feet then, pulling Pavetta into his arms.

“But she’s alright?” Duny asked as tears formed in his eyes.

“Yes, she will wake at my command.” Mousesack said as he stumbled away and promptly vomited in the corner of the room.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright little cub.” Eist heard Calanthe say to Ciri, attempting to calm her.

Eist surveyed the room then and began to make his way around, helping Vissegerd, Crach, Bran, and Birna to stand. When he returned, he leaned down and kissed Calanthe on the forehead.

“Is she alright?” Eist whispered as he looked down at Ciri.

“She’s fine, just scared out of her wits.” Calanthe whispered.

“Mama?” Ciri said weakly, her face still pressed against Calanthe’s chest.

“Mama’s right over there.” Calanthe said as she turned slightly and angled herself so Ciri could peer out and see Pavetta.

“I want my Mama.” Ciri said, her voice stronger this time as she reached her arms out.

“No, Sweetheart.” Calanthe said, patting Ciri gently on the back to soothe her. “She’s sleeping right now, little cub.”

Ciri began to squirm then in an attempt to get to her mother.

“Do you want me to take her?” Eist asked as he began to hold his arms out.

A surprisingly loud scream fell out of Ciri’s mouth then, causing the room to vibrate slightly. Eist could have sworn he heard a lion roar as Ciri screamed, but that was impossible. He must have been hearing things.

“Ciri?” Calanthe asked softly as she looked down at her granddaughter.

Eist could see that Ciri looked equally mad, confused, and terrified as she stared back up at Calanthe, her eyes wide.

“Mousesack, wake Pavetta up, now.” Eist said quickly as he looked over at Pavetta.

“Did that scream come from the Princess?” Mousesack asked as he walked from the corner of the room, his eyes growing wide.

“Yes, it did and if you don’t wake Pavetta up she may do it again.” Eist shouted.

Mousesack nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. Pavetta woke with a gasp as she sat upright in Duny’s arms. Duny pulled her close to him, kissing her for a moment until Pavetta pulled away.

“Where’s Ciri?” she asked weakly.

“Mama!” Ciri shrieked, the anger in her eyes from a moment ago gone as she began to squirm again.

Calanthe quickly crossed the room and set Ciri down in Pavetta’s lap. Mousesack walked around Pavetta, crossing the room to where Calanthe and Eist stood.

“What prompted that?” Mousesack asked when he reached them.

“She wanted her mother.” Calanthe said.

Mousesack nodded as he ran his hand through his hair.

“She’s going to need you.” Calanthe said softly as Eist put his arm around Calanthe’s waist.

Mousesack nodded in response. “It’s rare for a child this young to show signs of magic. She must be extremely powerful.”

“Extremely powerful and only six years old. You saw what just happened with Pavetta when she felt threatened and became angry. Children throw tantrums all the time, what’s to stop Ciri from losing control every time she wants a sweet and can’t have one?” Eist asked quietly.

Eist followed Calanthe’s gaze over to Ciri who looked content in her mother’s arms as Pavetta held her while she cried.

“Don’t be sad, Mama.” Ciri said softly as she reached her little hand up and wiped at Pavetta’s cheek, causing her to laugh softly.

At that moment the door in the back of the hall opened with the first of many servants carrying platters of food.

“Give us a few moments.” Crach said from where he stood beside Vissegerd, Bran, and Birna.

The servant nodded with wide eyes, took a few steps backwards, and then shut the door. Eist stepped away from Calanthe to help Crach, Vissegerd, and Bran as they began to pick up the various chairs, benches, and tables that had been thrown around the room.

\--

Calanthe and Eist were on their way back to their room after dinner, walking arm-in-arm when Calanthe stopped suddenly, reaching her right arm across her to brace herself against Eist’s arm that was linked with her left.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked softly as they stopped.

Calanthe only shook her head as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. “I just feel so lightheaded all of a sudden.”

Eist turned to face her as he pulled away his arm that was linked with hers so he could wrap both of his arms around her waist.

“Calanthe?” Eist asked just as she began to go limp in his arms.

Eist said her name one more time just as her legs gave out. Calanthe fainted a few moments later.

“Shit.” Eist whispered as he quickly picked Calanthe up in his arms.

They were not far from their chambers and Eist all but ran with her down the hall. When he reached their door, he shouted for one of the guards to find Mousesack. The other guard quickly opened the door, allowing Eist to easily enter and lay her gently on one of the couches in their sitting room. Eist quickly grabbed a nearby chair at their dining table and brought it to where Calanthe’s head was resting against the couch.

Eist felt his breathing quicken as he checked Calanthe’s pulse. He sighed then when he felt that her pulse was strong and steady.

“Calanthe?” Eist whispered, trying to gently wake her as he put his hand on her cheek and ran his thumb back and forth.

Mousesack came bursting into their room then and rushed to where Calanthe laid on the couch.

“What happened?” Mousesack asked.

“I don’t know.” Eist said as he shook his head. “We were walking back from dinner when she became lightheaded and then fainted.”

“She fainted? Did she have any other symptoms?” Mousesack asked.

“No.” Eist said as he moved his hand down to her upper arm and began to gently shake her again to try to coax her awake. It was then that Eist remembered Calanthe vomiting earlier that morning. “She did vomit this morning, and her stomach has been upset for a few weeks. She hasn’t been eating much, at least in the mornings. And you even said that was going on while I was unconscious.”

“She’s nauseous, vomiting, feeling lightheaded, and now she’s fainted?” Mousesack asked.

Eist turned his gaze from where he sat beside Calanthe to look up at Mousesack. _“It couldn’t be, after all this time, it couldn’t be.”_ Eist thought to himself. The thought of a child had haunted Eist for years, but he had admittedly given up hope. There had been to many times when either Calanthe or himself suspected she was pregnant, only to be let down again. Thank the God’s there was only one miscarriage. Calanthe stirred, just slightly as he gently shook her arm again, barely moving her. Eist sighed, relieved to see she was coming to as he lifted his hand back up to rest on her cheek.

“This is turning out to be quite a day.” Mousesack said under his breath.

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Eist said.

The eighth bell rang then and Eist was reminded of how tired he was. The day had been trying on his nerves, nearly bringing him to the point of screaming more than once. Calanthe’s eyes fluttered softly then as she opened them and began to look around until her eyes met his. Eist smiled, relieved to see her caramel eyes staring back at him.

“How are you feeling?” Eist asked softly as he looked down at her.

Calanthe blinked again before she opened her eyes wide and began to sit upward. Eist leaned over her a little more when Calanthe laid herself back again. She must have noticed the worry in his eyes as he hovered over her for a moment.

“I feel fine, just lightheaded still.” Calanthe said as she took a deep breath.

Eist leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, his lips barely touching her. When he leaned back up to meet her eyes, a smile flicked in one corner of his mouth, but only for a moment.

“You were nauseous again today?” Eist asked as he leaned back in his chair.

“Yes.” Calanthe said as she raised herself successfully this time to rest her head up higher on the arm of the couch.

“You would barely touch your food all last week and you hardly ate anything this morning or at dinner.” Mousesack said.

“Oh good, I’m glad you’ve been just as observant as the King.” Calanthe huffed as she took a breath and raised herself even higher, so she was sitting upright.

“And you vomited this morning.” Eist said as she met his gaze.

“I thought you were asleep.” She mumbled.

Eist chuckled, “I was. I don’t know for sure how long you were in the bathroom for but when I woke, I caught the tail end of you getting sick. I could hear it even though the door was shut.”

Calanthe shrugged. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because if you wanted me to know, you would have told me. Besides, I know better than to open the privy door if you have it shut.” Eist said as he glanced over at Mousesack and then back at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you vomited?”

“Because you know what it could mean, and I didn’t want to give you false hope.” Calanthe looked down at her lap as she blinked back her tears.

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry to ask this, but when was the last time you bled?” Mousesack asked as he sat down on the opposite couch that Calanthe was on.

“I don’t know for sure, but it was while I was still in Cintra and it was before Eist left. I had been tracking it, but my journal was lost in the shipwreck and I didn’t bother to make a new one, I just didn’t see the point in it.”

“Didn’t see the point?” Eist asked as his brow furrowed.

“Come now, Eist. We’ve been married almost seven years and we still don’t have a chil…”

“Your Majesty, that was almost two months ago.” Mousesack said, cutting her off as realization crossed his face. “You haven’t bled in almost two months, you’re nauseous, you became lightheaded and fainted a little while ago, and you vomited this morning?”

Calanthe looked from Eist to Mousesack and nodded

“Well congratulations, your Majesty. You are with child.”

And with that Mousesack stood, clasped Eist on the shoulder, smiled warmly at Calanthe and headed for the door. Eist felt like his head was spinning. On one hand it was obvious, and in a way, he saw it coming. He had noticed that Calanthe had not had her cycle, but he had become so wrapped in the threats against her life that he never brought it up. Her nausea was suspicious to him, as was the vomiting that occurred that morning. For all he knew she had vomited more and just did not tell him about it. Eist felt himself smile then, so much so that he was sure he looked quite ridiculous, sitting there grinning like a fool.

“You’re sure?” Eist called after Mousesack as he took Calanthe’s hands in his.

Mousesack chuckled before responding, “I am quite sure.”

Eist smiled even wider than before as he turned his gaze back to Calanthe. She smiled back at him as a tear fell down her cheek.

“Mousesack.” Eist called again as he looked up just as Mousesack put his hand on the door.

“I won’t tell anyone, and we can discuss it more after we’ve all had some sleep.” Mousesack said as he turned and smiled, turning the doorknob as he did. “Goodnight, your Majesties.”

And with that Mousesack bowed and made his way out of their chambers and shut the door softly behind him.

Eist was so happy he wanted to run screaming down the corridors and pound on every door to tell everyone that Calanthe was with child. Rationality quickly returned though. It was too early, and something could happen again, just as it did before. He quickly pushed the thought away though, not wanting the painful memory to take away from this joyous one.

“Are you happy?” Calanthe asked as Eist stared at her in amazement.

Eist smiled before letting go of her hands to take her face gently in his own before saying, “You have once again made me the happiest man on the Continent.”


	22. Chapter 11B - Calanthe

**Chapter 11B – Calanthe**

**Year – 1256**

The bedchamber was hot, too hot for Calanthe’s liking when she woke. Sweat was clinging to her back as she gently pulled away from Eist, careful not to wake him as she untangled herself from his arms. For a moment Calanthe blinked heavily, looking towards the window cover to see that light was not shining through the edges just yet. Nausea rolled through Calanthe’s stomach as she moved herself to the end of the bed as she pressed her hand to her stomach. Calanthe stood then and sprinted on her tip toes, shutting the door to the privy chamber with a quiet snap. She barely made it to an empty basin before vomiting.

After a few gasps, Calanthe laid on the cold floor of the privy chamber, clutching the basin. The floor began to feel uncomfortably cold a few minutes after the vomiting finally subsided. Still, she continued to lay there for a few more minutes, wondering what she should do. In a way she had suspected she was with child almost two weeks ago when the smell of food first made her nauseous, and then when she vomited outside of the kitchens after Eist woke, but ultimately summed it up to being upset over Eist being hurt.

Calanthe’s journal that she used to track her cycle had been lost, as had the potions that Mousesack had made for her, sunk to the bottom of the harbor in Kaer Trolde when her ship crashed. She had thought about asking Mousesack for more, but she did not bother with it. Calanthe had not told Eist, but she had given up the idea of becoming a mother a second time. If after six years of extremely productive bedchamber activities and the aid of Mousesack’s potions did not produce a successful pregnancy, then she thought nothing would.

Now as she thought back, she had not had her cycle since before she left Cintra, and that was about two months ago. Calanthe sighed as she rose. If she did not get back to bed soon Eist would certainly wake and come looking for her. She did not want him to know yet, not till she was sure. There had been too many false hopes in the past and she knew every one of them broke his heart.

\--

Calanthe and Eist were awoken early to receive the dock worker from Cintra. Calanthe was barely able to drag herself out of bed, still exhausted from the night before and her bought of morning sickness a few hours ago.

The pair bathed, dressed quickly, and made their way down to the private banquet hall where the dock worker was requested to wait with Mousesack.

“Your Majesties,” Mousesack said as he stood and bowed as Calanthe and Eist entered the banquet hall. “This is Vios Nirwen, the dock worker from Cintra.”

Vios bowed awkwardly, clearly unsure if he should break his eye contact with Calanthe as he did.

“Please, sit. Have you eaten?” Eist asked as he motioned for Vios to return to his seat.

“No, your Majesty. I have only just arrived.”

Eist turned to one of the servants that was stationed at the door near the back of the banquet hall that led to the kitchens. “See when breakfast is going to be served, will you?”

Calanthe and Eist began to approach the table and when they reached it, Eist pulled Calanthe’s chair out for her before taking the seat beside her. Calanthe smirked as Eist moved his chair much closer to Calanthe’s than it originally was, just as he always did. They sat so close that their arms were almost touching.

“How was your journey?” Calanthe asked.

“It was fine, your Majesty, thank you. If I may say so, I am glad to see that you are both well.”

Calanthe looked at Vios and then quickly flicked her eyes to Eist for a moment.

“Why would we not be well, sir?” Calanthe asked.

“Forgive me your Majesty, but in Cintra there is much talk of a hydra attacking the King on his journey here, but he slayed the beast himself. Your ship was apparently destroyed upon your arrival in Skellige due to a terrible storm. I was there when the bodies of the Cintran sailors were brought home. That was a sad day indeed.”

Calanthe nodded, it seems news of what happened had traveled quickly back to Cintra.

“You know why you are here then?” Eist asked as he leaned back in his chair.

“I do. You have questions about two men that worked on the docks with me? I can only imagine the trouble that they are in.”

“Trouble?” Calanthe asked as she raised her brow.

“Yes, your Majesty. If you and the King inquiring about them, they must have done something rather stupid, or rather terrible.”

“One of them has done something terrible indeed, he tried to kill your Queen and almost killed me instead. Now I need to know everything about them. No detail is too small.”

Vios’s eyes went wide but before he could respond, the back door to the banquet hall opened as servants began to walk through, carrying platters of food.

Calanthe could see Vios eyeing the food and realized how hungry he must be from his journey. If he had eaten anything over the last few days, it would have been minimal, maybe a piece of fruit and a small loaf of bread at best. Eist must have noticed too, because even as the food was set down in front of Vios, he still attempted to respond to his King, but Eist held up his hand to stop him.

“Let’s eat before we continue, shall we?” Eist said.

“We’ll serve ourselves.” Calanthe said as the final platter was set down.

After they plated their food, Calanthe found once again that she was not hungry. A pang of nausea ran through her, but she dismissed it and took a slow, steady breath in an attempt to push it away. It did not work. Calanthe took a few bites of food, cutting the eggs down to much smaller bites than she normally would. She glanced over to her left to see Eist looking at her plate and then up at her, meeting her eyes. She smiled out of the corner of her mouth at him and then quickly took another bite, hoping that was enough to satisfy him. She could tell by his expression that it was not as worry quickly crossed his face.

Calanthe turned her gaze back to her plate and took another bite, forcing it down her throat as another pang of nausea hit her. Eist could worry all he wanted but now was not the time for him to fuss over her.

The group finished the rest of their meal in silence, with Calanthe pushing her plate away from her before anyone else in their group. As she pushed her plate away, Calanthe reached inside of a pocket that was sewn into her velvet dress to pull out the letter that she had received from Vissegerd that referenced the missing men front Cintra. She unfolded it, glancing over it again as she did. She heard Eist set down his fork as he reached over and grazed the side of her thigh softly before letting his hand drop to his side. Calanthe smirked softly, realizing quickly that Eist had went to rest his hand on her thigh as he always did, only there was no tablecloth to hide his hand this time. She glanced over at him and quickly turned her hand, brushing her fingers against the back of his for just a moment. Calanthe picked up the letter off of her lap then and set it on the table, pulling her gaze away from Eist just as he began to smirk back at her.

“So, you know both of the men that disappeared, Tristan and Reqard?” Calanthe asked as Vios and Mousesack finished their meals.

“Yes, your Majesty.” Vios said.

“Could you recognize them if you saw them again?” Eist asked.

“Yes, I believe I could.”

“Is there anything you remember about either one of them, anything that stands out?” Mousesack asked as he sipped his beer.

Vios sighed. “They were young. Both of them said they were from the South, which seemed a bit odd. No one was sure why they were working on a ship in Cintra if they were from the South. Uh, let’s see, Tristan was the one with the dark hair and brown eyes. Reqard had blonde hair and green eyes. Both were taller lads.”

Calanthe sighed. This was information that they already knew.

“Did you see them talking to anyone in particular?” Eist asked as he twirled his fork in his hands.

“At the docks? No, your Majesty. They mostly kept to themselves, but they were usually together. They were working on the ship that you sailed over in, your Majesty.” Vios said, motioning to Eist.

“And then they just disappeared one day?” Calanthe asked.

“Yes.” Vios said as he shrugged.

Mousesack stroked his beard in silence while Eist sighed, leaning forward in his seat and resting his left elbow on the table while he pressed his palm to his forehead. Calanthe herself sat in silence as a third wave of nausea rippled through her, causing her to swallow as she closed her eyes for a minute, suppressing the need to vomit. She took a small, shaky breath when the urge passed. Luckily Mousesack and Vios did not seem to notice, but out of the corner of her eye she could see that Eist did.

“There is something else. I don’t know if it’s important though.” Vios said quietly.

Calanthe could see Eist’s gaze move from her to Vios as she herself looked at the dock worker.

“I think Reqard, the blonde one, I think he was a magic user.”

“Why do you think that?” Mousesack asked.

“Because, Reqard completed a lot of work unnaturally quickly. He finished jobs that should have taken five men a week to complete, but he would finish by himself in less than a day. I can’t prove anything, but it was just odd.”

Calanthe looked up at Mousesack as he stood. “Your Majesties, can I see you for a moment?”

Eist stood just before Calanthe did, stepping back so Calanthe could walk in front of him. They followed Mousesack out into the hall and into a nearby empty room.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked when Mousesack shut the door to the room they had just entered.

“I think Vios is right. Reqard may possess magical abilities.”

“And what makes you think that?” Eist asked as he put his hand around Calanthe’s waist.

“Between what Vios said about his impressive ship building skills and the hydra appearing in Skelligan waters, well, I think he may be on to something.” Mousesack said.

“So, what do we do?” Eist asked.

Calanthe could feel his grip tighten just slightly around her waist as he moved just a little closer to her.

“I don’t know.” Mousesack said.

“Well, we can’t leave him sit in there all day.” Calanthe said as she motioned towards the door. “I don’t think there is anything else we can learn from him. We may as well let him rest and he can be on the first ship back to Cintra tomorrow.”

Eist nodded as he pressed a kiss to her temple. Calanthe smiled softly as she allowed herself to lean into his kiss, just for a moment.

“Would you like him to be put in the guest quarters?” Mousesack asked as he headed for the door while Calanthe and Eist followed him.

“Yes, that will do. But take him to identify the body first. I want to find out if it was indeed Tristan that attacked the Queen.” Eist said as he and Calanthe reached the door.

When they entered the banquet hall again, Vios was sitting where they left him, looking around the room as he finished his third plate of food.

“Thank you for coming. The Queen and I very much appreciate it.” Eist said.

“Of course, your Majesty.” Vios said as he stood.

“Mousesack will take you to your guest quarters. You are welcome to explore Kaer Trolde as you see fit. Tomorrow morning, we will ensure you are on the first ship back to Cintra and are well compensated for making the journey.”

“Thank you, your Majesty!” Vios said as he bowed.

Mousesack quickly led Vios out of the room then, leaving Calanthe and Eist there alone.

“You didn’t tell him about the body.” Calanthe said after Mousesack shut the door behind him.

“I know. I want him to be caught off guard.”

“Why?” Calanthe asked as she looked up at Eist, her brow furrowing.

“I don’t trust him.” Eist said as he reached his hand forward and found Calanthe’s to hold while still keeping his eyes on the door.

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, I just have a feeling.” Eist said as he turned his gaze down to Calanthe and leaned down, kissing her lightly on the lips.

\--

Calanthe had requested that the books she read to Eist be brought up to their chambers later that morning. She and Eist had returned to their chambers to relax before Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny arrived back to Kaer Trolde. She had smiled when they returned to their room to find the pile of books sitting on the table in between their two couches by the fire.

“Where did those come from?” Eist asked as he followed Calanthe into their chambers and sat down on one of the couches as he picked up the top book, quickly flipping through it.

“I read to you when you were in the infirmary.” Calanthe said, realizing in that moment that she wasn’t sure if Eist would find it endearing or strange that she had been reading to him. “I was rather interested in the last book I had been reading before you woke up.”

Calanthe sat down beside Eist and glanced over at him to find him smiling as he flipped through the book in his hands.

“Yes, Mousesack mentioned that.” Eist said as he looked over at Calanthe. “And which book was it that piqued your interest so much?”

Eist set the book he was holding back on the top of the pile as he pushed the stack of books closer to Calanthe before he leaned back on the couch.

“It was this one.” Calanthe said as she moved a few books aside to find the one in the middle and handed it to Eist.

Eist read the title aloud, “ _The Tales of the Pirates Lost at Sea._ Well unfortunately I don’t remember any of it.” Eist said as he set the book on his lap.

Calanthe tensed as she sat there and felt like a fool, but only for a moment until Eist spoke up again.

“I hope you did not get too far into the book, seeing as how we will have to start over, so I know what’s going on.”

Calanthe turned her head to look at Eist who smiled warmly back at her. Calanthe smiled back and picked the book up off of Eist’s lap as she curled against his chest. She could feel Eist pick up his feet and prop them on the table in front of them as she positioned herself to pull her feet onto the couch.

“Here,” Eist said as he gently took the book from her hands. “I’ll start and we can take turns between chapters.”

Calanthe smiled as she let go of the book while she wrapped one of her arms around his back and rested the other against his stomach. Eist leaned down to kiss her on the top of her head before he held the book off to the side and began to read aloud to her.

\--

They were two chapters into the book when the twelfth bell rang. Soon after, a knock sounded at their door.

Eist sighed heavily before sitting up from the couch as he handed the book to Calanthe. Calanthe sat up as Eist walked away and rested her head against the back of the couch.

“Your Majesties? Would you like your mid-day meal brought to you?”

“Yes.” Calanthe heard Eist say as she stood then and crossed to the windows in their sitting room.

“I was also asked to give you this.”

Calanthe was barely paying attention to the servant as she opened the window covering slightly as a huge gust of cold air blew in. She shut the window quickly as she shivered. Calanthe had barely been able to look outside, but it appeared that the weather was clear for sailing. She heard their sitting room door shut then as she turned back around to Eist as he opened a small piece of folded parchment.

“It’s from the Harbor Master,” Eist said as he walked back to the couch and sat down. “Pavetta’s ship should be arriving into port within a few hours.”

Calanthe smiled widely as she crossed the room to sit next to Eist again. The last few weeks had been trying on her nerves and was made worse that Pavetta and Ciri were not with her. She was beside herself with excitement at the thought of seeing them again.

“We can head down after we eat.” Eist said as Calanthe leaned against him while he pressed a kiss to her temple and picked up their book again.

\--

The cold winter air was harsh as it blew off the sea. Eist had tried to convince Calanthe to wait inside the castle walls until Pavetta’s ship docked but Calanthe refused, she wanted to see them come into the harbor herself. Calanthe wore her heavy fur lined cape, gloves, and boots but found herself still to be cold. Pavetta’s ship was close enough now that she could see Ciri in Pavetta’s arms, on the deck in her fur hat, waving repeatedly at Calanthe and Eist who were standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Calanthe waved back as a smile crossed her face, turning to look up at Eist when she heard him chuckle as he waved back as well.

“I missed that kid.” Eist whispered as he looked at Calanthe. “And I need to get you inside soon.”

“And why is that?” Calanthe asked as she raised her brow.

“Your nose is turning red from the cold.” Eist said as he leaned down and placed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose.

“Eist! Not here!” Calanthe said as she jabbed Eist lightly in the arm with her elbow.

“What?” Eist asked as Calanthe looked back up at him, a smile pulling slightly at the corners of her mouth. “You look like you need to be warmed up, that’s all.” Eist playfully said.

“You can warm me up all you want, once we are inside.” Calanthe whispered back.

“I’m going to hold you to that.” Eist whispered back.

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

\--

Soon Calanthe and Eist stood at the edge of the dock as the gangplank was drawn. It only took a second for in to be down for Calanthe to all but run and capture Ciri into her arms.

“I’ve missed you.” Calanthe said as tears stung her eyes while Ciri clutched her back.

“I missed you too, Grandmama.” Ciri said as she buried her head against Calanthe’s chest.

Calanthe leaned back then and kissed Ciri on her forehead over and over until Ciri scrunched up her face. She adjusted her hold on Ciri then as she hoisted her a little higher in her arms before making her way to Pavetta.

“Mother, I was so worried!” Pavetta said as she quickly made her way from Eist to Calanthe.

“We’re alright, Sweetheart.” Calanthe said as she took the arm that was not holding Ciri and wrapped it around Pavetta. “We’re alright.”

Ciri began to squirm in Calanthe’s arms and it only took her a moment to realize that Ciri had spotted Eist.

“Here you go, little cub.” Calanthe said as she walked to Eist and handed Ciri over to him before walking back to Pavetta and Duny who had now joined them.

“He is doing well?” Pavetta asked.

Calanthe gave Duny a quick hug, which he and Pavetta both seemed surprised by, before responding. She had to admit to herself that she had missed Duny, just a little.

“He’s healed now,” Calanthe said, motioning towards Eist. “But he’s lucky. It could have been much worse than what it was.”

The words caught in Calanthe’s throat as she said them while the guilt rushed back to her.

“But we don’t know where the other man is?” Pavetta asked.

“Not yet.” Calanthe said as Bran walked from up the stairs from the bowels of the ship towards Eist.

“So, there is another assassin out there who is trying to kill you?” Pavetta asked as tears filled her eyes.

Calanthe sighed. “Sweetheart, there are an awful lot of people who want to kill me. That is what this life is. We will find this person, just like we find the rest, okay?”

Pavetta did not seem convinced, and this time Calanthe was not entirely convinced herself.

\--

Calanthe and Eist returned to their chambers after Pavetta, Duny, and Ciri retired to theirs to rest after their journey. Crach had come down a little after their arrival to visit as well, which kept all of them at the harbor even longer as Crach chased Ciri around while she giggled like mad.

When they returned to their room, Eist pulled Calanthe into his arms as soon as their door was shut behind them.

“So, do you still need warming up?” Eist whispered as he leaned down and began to alternate between soft kisses and light sucking at the curve of Calanthe’s neck.

Calanthe could only smile and moan in response as her hands made their way to his hair, which was wild from being whipped around by the sea air at the harbor. Eist’s hands made their way around her back and began to undo the top button at the back of her dress when a harsh knock sounded at their door.

“Your Majesties!”

Calanthe’s head snapped up. That voice sounded all too familiar, but it was not a voice that belonged on the Isle’s. She pulled away from Eist after she pecked a small kiss to his lips before she stepped towards the door and opened it.

“Vissegerd? Is that you?”

Vissegerd stood there, exhausted and out of breath.

“Where is Vios?” Vissegerd asked urgently.

“What are you talking about? Why are you hear?” Calanthe asked as she took a step towards him.

“Your Majesty, I mean no disrespect, but this is no time for pleasantries. Where is Vios?”

“I don’t know for sure.” Calanthe said as she shook her head. “Mousesack took him to his guest quarters hours ago, but he could be anywhere in Kaer Trolde.”

“We must find him, immediately.” Vissegerd said before he pushed his way inside and shut the door behind him.

“Why? What has happened.” Eist asked.

“He is not Vios Nirwen, at least not anymore. He is a doppler.”

“How do you know that?” Calanthe asked as she tensed.

“His body was found late last evening. When I went to the Cintran Harbor master to enquire if anyone had left on the last ship to Skellige, I was told Vios had. It is the only thing that makes sense. We also believe we have found the body of Reqard; stuffed in a crate inside Vios’s home where the doppler was living. He was dead for some time, at least a few weeks. As soon as I realized what was happening, I set sail for Skellige immediately.”

“I don’t understand.” Calanthe said as her head began to spin.

“I’ll explain later, your Majesty, but for right now we must find Vios.”

\--

Calanthe and Eist kept their swords in their rooms even while they kept their armor in the armory. Calanthe was glad for it, she always felt better with her sword at her side. With swords in hand, Eist first led them to find Mousesack, with Calanthe in the middle and Vissegerd following closely behind. The guards that they passed were quickly dismissed. It was no use having a small brigade go after the doppler in his quarters. After retrieving Mousesack, the four of them, still led by Eist, made their way quickly to the dopplers guest chamber, hoping that he was inside.

“The door is just down here.” Eist whispered when he slowed his pace. When they reached the door, Mousesack pulled it open and stepped to the side as Eist, Calanthe, and Vissegerd burst in.

“Your Majesties?” The doppler said as he stood from where he sat on the couch.

Before Calanthe could speak, Eist crossed the room in a flash and had his hand around the dopplers throat.

“Come here, you little shit.” Eist growled as he dragged the doppler across the room.

Eist brought the doppler so he was directly in front of her and kicked the back of his knees, making him kneel before her. The doppler cried out at first, but when Eist twisted his arms backwards, he began to laugh. It was a sick, high pitched laugh that rang through the air that made Calanthe’s stomach twist.

“Why?” Calanthe asked.

“You have upset a lot of people, you know that?” The doppler said as he laughed.

“Like who?” Eist asked as he twisted the doppler’s arms a little more.

“Oh, there are too many to count. You’re Skelligan alliance has you holding far too much power for most people’s liking, Lioness of Cintra. I won’t be the last one to come for you.”

Calanthe smiled as she kneeled down, her face mere inches from the dopplers.

“Well, since this is the end for you, won’t you tell me who sent you?” Calanthe asked as she set her blade on the ground and pulled her dagger from her belt.

“No!” The doppler exclaimed before laughing. “No, that would go against the contract!”

Eist twisted the dopplers arms more, causing a sickening snap to fill the air as the doppler screamed.

“What contract?” Calanthe asked as the doppler began to laugh again.

“Well, let’s just say that there are an awful lot of people in the South who are not a fan of yours.”

The sarcasm that dripped from the doppler’s tone did not go unnoticed. Calanthe nodded as the doppler hung his head and laughed again.

“Thank you for the warning.” Calanthe said as she put the point of her dagger underneath the dopplers chin, guiding him to look at her again.

“What warning?” The doppler asked as his expression became serious again.

Calanthe smiled, noting the confusion in his voice. She had caught him off guard.

“You said that you would not be the last one to come for me. Without that knowledge, I may have let my guard down. Because of you, I will remain ever vigilant.” Calanthe whispered.

And with that she turned her dagger and plunged it through the doppler’s jugular, killing him instantly.

\--

Calanthe was worried that Eist was going to snap when he, Vissegerd, Mousesack, and herself made their way to their chambers after having the doppler’s body taken to be incinerated. Eist didn’t look tired or run down, instead he looked like he had just about had enough.

Calanthe sat on one of the couches near the fire first and did not push Eist away when he immediately sat beside her, so close that their thighs were pressed together. He wrapped his arm around her then, even though Vissegerd and Mousesack were present.

“Will someone please explain to me what the Hell is going on?” Eist said to Vissegerd.

“Her Majesty was to set sail for Skellige with you. A small amount of people had begun preparing for what was supposed to be the entire Cintran royal family sailing to Skellige. However, those plans changed.” Vissegerd said as he took a seat on the couch across from Calanthe and Eist.

“Yes, we know all that.” Eist said as he ran his right hand through his hair while still keeping his left arm around Calanthe’s waist.

“But we were not entirely certain on the rest until now, Tristan and Reqard, who had been hired to work on the docks, were working on the ship that you sailed on.” Vissegerd said, motioning to Eist. “Soon after you set sail, they disappeared.”

“And no one thought that strange?” Calanthe asked.

“Not at all, your Majesty. It happens frequently. It was thought that they had found better means of employment. After the King sets sail is when I believe the doppler killed Reqard.”

“But why, what was his motive?” Mousesack asked.

“I don’t know, but we have no reason to believe that Tristan and Reqard were working with the doppler. They could have been hired separately, almost like bounty hunters.”

“Okay,” Eist said as he groaned. “So now there are bounty hunters being hired to kill the Queen?”

“It’s not unusual, not in courts such as these.” Vissegerd said as he turned to Eist.

Eist snorted as he muttered under his breath while he shook his head, his voice so low that even Calanthe could not make out what he said. Calanthe pressed herself further against him and put her hand around him to rest against his lower back. It seemed to calm him, at least a little.

“So, if Reqard was the one with magical abilities, then how did the hydra appear in Skelligan waters?” Mousesack asked as he stood and began to pace in front of the fire, his brow furrowed.

“Think about it,” Vissegerd said. “We don’t know if Reqard was able to use magic at all. We only know that from the doppler, and I would not call him a reliable source of information. I am guessing that the doppler himself teleported the hydra there, but I don’t know for sure, and we probably never will.”

Calanthe sighed as she began to feel Eist’s hand drop to the side of her hip and begin to softly stroke his thumb against her. “Okay, so if what you are saying is correct then how did Tristan get to Skellige?”

“He could have stowed away on a ship, Hell he could have been on your ship for all we know, or he could have sailed here himself.”

“You believe the doppler caused the storm too?” Calanthe asked.

“I doubt that, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he shook his head from where he stood, cutting Vissegerd off before he could speak. “Causing something like that would take an extraordinary amount of magical abilities. It’s not impossible, but it is doubtful.”

“So, who caused the fucking storm then?” Eist said, his irritation and anger clearly growing.

“I don’t know, your Majesty.” Mousesack said carefully. “I would assume it was a mage though. There are a lot of kingdoms that employ mages that would love to control the most powerful force in the land. Do you have any ideas, Vissegerd?”

“No, and I agree with you. I know very little about magic, but from what I had heard that storm was immensely powerful. We could see blips of it off the coast of Cintra, and it looked terrifying even from where we stood.”

“So, the ship crashes and weeks later Tristan attacks? The guards were gone, and the torches were out before I went out to find you. There was no way he could have known that I would leave my quarters that night.” Calanthe said as she looked at Mousesack.

“Maybe he had no intentions of attacking you in the hall.” Eist said as he pressed his hand a little firmer against her hip. “The torches were out by our chambers and our guards were gone as well. He could have intended on coming into our chambers for all we know, and we just happened to meet him in the hall instead.”

Calanthe shook her head. “So Tristan attacks, I kill him, and the doppler is still in Cintra all this time, still posing as Reqard?”

“No, Reqard is dead at this point. I believe at this point the doppler was posing as Vios.”

“What did the doppler say when you showed him Tristan’s body, anyway? Eist asked, motioning to Mousesack as he did.

“He only identified him as Tristan, but that was all.” Mousesack responded.

“But why? Why did Vios, I mean the doppler, stay in Cintra all that time?” Calanthe asked.

“Maybe he thought Tristan would fail and thought he could use that to his own advantage. Honestly a lone assassin, or bounty hunter, or whatever you want to call him was unlikely to kill you. Between your own fighting abilities, the Kings protectiveness over you, and the Skelligan’s loyalty to you, he was never likely to succeed.”

“Except he almost did.” Calanthe said as she swallowed.

Flashes went through her mind then of Eist being stabbed, of the look on his face as he fell to his knees. She shuddered slightly as she tried to push the memories away. She knew the look on his face would haunt her for the rest of her life. For just a moment she blinked away tears until Eist leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. It was a gesture that was very much welcomed in private, but not in the presence of others. However, in this moment she was grateful for it, regardless of who was in the room.

“Yes, unfortunately he almost did.” Vissegerd said softly. “And when I went looking for anyone who would know about Tristan or Reqard, the doppler made himself known.”

“He was pulling the strings all along?” Mousesack asked.

“Yes, but someone else was pulling his. The question is, who?” Calanthe asked.

\--

Crach had arraigned for a small dinner to be put together now that the entire family was finally in one place. Calanthe, Eist, and Vissegerd were the last to arrive to the banquet hall. Calanthe did not realize how on edge Pavetta was and seeing Vissegerd unexpectedly in Skellige was enough to cause her to go into a whirlwind of panic.

“Why are you here?” Pavetta said as panic rose in her voice when Vissegerd entered.

“Pavetta, we can explan…” Calanthe said, attempting to sooth her daughter.

“He would not leave Cintra unless you were still in danger, Mother!” Pavetta shouted, interrupting Calanthe as she stood.

The air around them began to move, even though the windows were shut.

“Darling, maybe let the Queen explain?” Duny asked quietly as he stood, putting his hand gently on top of Pavetta’s.

Calanthe could see Mousesack become tense behind Pavetta as the air began to move more than before, creating an unnatural breeze.

“Well? Why are you here, sir?” Pavetta asked, crossing her arms and looking at Vissegerd.

“Your highness, I came because a doppler arrived this morning who was attempting to kill the Queen.”

Calanthe sighed and closed her eyes, knowing full well what was coming just as the words left Vissegerd’s mouth. He had been to blunt, to direct for Pavetta. Mousesack had been mentoring Pavetta for years to help her attempt to control her powers, but it was not enough. Not when Pavetta was pushed past her breaking point.

“What?” Pavetta screamed.

The wind began to pick up rapidly then as the plates that had been laid down began to lift off the table. Calanthe turned her head to see Ciri look up at her mother, looking terrified as she began to cry. Duny attempted to pull at Pavetta’s hand to distract her, but she only pushed him away, causing him to be knocked to the floor. Calanthe ducked, lowering herself to the ground just as the wind began to blow harder, and grabbed Ciri. Just when she had her arms around her granddaughter, she was blown backwards into Eist. They tumbled to the floor in a heap as Ciri began to scream.

Calanthe felt Eist push her behind him as she curled herself on top of Ciri. The glass from the windows broke just as Eist threw himself on top of Calanthe. She heard several thuds around the room then. She was not sure if Vissegerd, Crach, Bran, or Birna had finally been thrown back or it was the sound of furniture hitting the walls.

It was over almost as soon as it started. Eist climbed off of Calanthe as soon as the wind stopped.

“Pavetta?”

Calanthe clamored upward at the sound of Eist saying her daughter’s name. Ciri was still in Calanthe’s arms, her head pressed against her chest as she continued to scream and clutch at her grandmother. When Calanthe stood and turned, she saw Pavetta, lying limp and being held up from underneath her arms by Mousesack.

“Pavetta?” Calanthe all but screamed her name as she quickly but carefully made her way over broken glass and bits of furniture to her daughter.

“She’s under a sleeping spell, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he took several deep breaths.

Duny was on his feet then, pulling Pavetta into his arms.

“But she’s alright?” Duny asked as tears formed in his eyes.

“Yes, she will wake at my command.” Mousesack said as he stumbled away and promptly vomited in the corner of the room.

“Shh, shh, it’s alright little cub.” Calanthe whispered, soothing Ciri as much as she could as she began to bounce her softly in her arms.

Calanthe watched out of the corner of her eye as Eist began to make his way around the room, helping Vissegerd, Crach, Bran, and Birna to stand. When he returned, he leaned down and kissed Calanthe on the forehead.

“Is she alright?” Eist whispered as he looked down at Ciri.

“She’s fine, just scared out of her wits.” Calanthe whispered.

“Mama?” Ciri said weakly, her face still pressed against Calanthe’s chest.

“Mama’s right over there.” Calanthe said as she turned slightly and angled herself so Ciri could peer out and see Pavetta.

“I want my Mama.” Ciri said, her voice stronger this time as she reached her arms out.

“No, Sweetheart.” Calanthe said, patting Ciri gently on the back to soothe her. “She’s sleeping right now, little cub.”

Calanthe was surprised as to how quickly Ciri began to squirm in her arms, fighting to break free.

“Do you want me to take her?” Eist asked as he began to hold his arms out.

A surprisingly loud scream fell out of Ciri’s mouth. Calanthe froze as the room shook around her slightly and the air moved, just for a moment. Calanthe thought she heard the sound of a lion roar as Ciri screamed, but quickly pushed the thought away.

“Ciri?” Calanthe asked softly as she looked down at her granddaughter.

Ciri looked equally mad, confused, and terrified as she stared back up at Calanthe, her eyes wide.

“Mousesack, wake Pavetta up, now.” Eist said quickly as he looked over at Pavetta.

“Did that scream come from the Princess?” Mousesack asked as he walked from the corner of the room, his eyes growing wide.

“Yes, it did and if you don’t wake Pavetta up she may do it again.” Eist shouted.

Mousesack nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. Pavetta woke with a gasp as she sat upright in Duny’s arms. Duny pulled her close to him, kissing her for a moment until Pavetta pulled away.

“Where’s Ciri?” she asked weakly.

“Mama!” Ciri shrieked, the anger in her eyes from a moment ago gone as she began to squirm again.

Calanthe quickly crossed the room and set Ciri down in Pavetta’s lap. Mousesack walked around Pavetta, crossing the room to where Calanthe and Eist stood.

“What prompted that?” Mousesack asked when he reached them.

“She wanted her mother.” Calanthe said.

Mousesack nodded as he ran his hand through his hair.

“She’s going to need you.” Calanthe said softly as Eist put his arm around Calanthe’s waist.

Mousesack nodded in response. “It’s rare for a child this young to show signs of magic. She must be extremely powerful.”

“Extremely powerful and only six years old. You saw what just happened with Pavetta when she felt threatened and became angry. Children throw tantrums all the time, what’s to stop Ciri from losing control every time she wants a sweet and can’t have one?” Eist asked quietly.

Calanthe looked over at Ciri then, who looked content in her mother’s arms as Pavetta held her while she cried.

“Don’t be sad, Mama.” Ciri said softly as she reached her little hand up and wiped at Pavetta’s cheek, causing her to laugh softly.

At that moment the door in the back of the hall opened with the first of many servants carrying platters of food. Calanthe had to stifle her laughter as they looked around the room in shock at the sight before them.

“Give us a few moments.” Crach said from where he stood beside Vissegerd, Bran, and Birna.

The servant nodded with wide eyes, took a few steps backwards, and then shut the door. Crach, Vissegerd, and Bran began to walk around the room, picking up various chairs and benches as they did. Eist sighed from beside Calanthe and went to join them.

“I meant what I said, Mousesack.” Calanthe said softly as she watched Duny help Pavetta stand up while she still held Ciri in her arms.

“Meant what, your Majesty?” Mousesack asked.

“Ciri is going to need you.”

\--

Calanthe and Eist were on their way back to their room after dinner, walking arm-in-arm when a flash of dizziness ran over her. She stopped suddenly, reaching her right arm across her to brace herself against Eist’s arm that was linked with her left.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked softly as they stopped.

Calanthe only shook her head as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. “I just feel so dizzy all of a sudden.”

She leaned forward then as she felt Eist turn to face her. Calanthe’s eyes were still closed when she felt Eist pull his arm from hers to wrap both of his around her waist.

“Calanthe?” Eist asked as she felt herself begin to go limp in his arms.

Eist said her name one more time as she felt her legs give out just before losing consciousness.

\--

“This is turning out to be quite a day.” Calanthe barely heard Mousesack utter the words as she began to blink, opening her eyes slowly.

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Eist sounded exhausted and run down.

It was then that she realized she must be resting on one of the couches in their sitting room. She could smell the fire and hear it crackle as it burned. Eist’s hand was against her cheek then as she opened her eyes. It took her a moment to focus on him, but when she finally did, he smiled softly at her.

“How are you feeling?” Eist asked softly as he looked down at her.

Calanthe blinked again before she opened her eyes wide and began to sit upward. She tried to sit up to fast though and quickly laid herself back down as another bought of dizziness hit her.

“I feel fine, just lightheaded still.” Calanthe said as she took a deep breath.

Eist leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, his lips barely touching her. When he leaned back up to meet her eyes, a smile flicked in one corner of his mouth, but only for a moment.

“You were nauseous again today?” Eist asked as he leaned back in the chair he had pulled beside the couch.

Calanthe froze for a moment.

“Yes.” Calanthe said as she raised herself successfully this time to rest her head up higher on the arm of the couch.

“You would barely touch your food all last week and you hardly ate anything this morning or at dinner.” Mousesack said.

“Oh good, I’m glad you’ve been just as observant as the King.” Calanthe huffed as she took a breath and raised herself even higher, so she was sitting upright.

“And you vomited this morning.” Eist said as she met his gaze.

Calanthe froze again.

“I thought you were asleep.” She mumbled.

Eist chuckled, “I was. I don’t know for sure how long you were in the bathroom for but when I woke, I caught the tail end of you getting sick. I could hear it even though the door was shut.”

Calanthe shrugged. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because if you wanted me to know, you would have told me. Besides, I know better than to open the privy door if you have it shut.” Eist said as he glanced over at Mousesack and then back at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you vomited?”

Tears stung Calanthe’s eyes then. She had not meant to keep anything from him.

“Because you know what it could mean, and I didn’t want to give you false hope.” Calanthe looked down at her lap as she blinked back her tears.

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry to ask this, but when was the last time you bled?” Mousesack asked as he sat down on the couch opposite of where she sat.

“I don’t know for sure, but it was while I was still in Cintra and it was before Eist left. I had been tracking it, but my journal was lost in the shipwreck and I didn’t bother to make a new one, I just didn’t see the point in it.”

“Didn’t see the point?” Eist asked as his brow furrowed.

“Come now, Eist. We’ve been married almost seven years and we still don’t have a chil…”

“Your Majesty, that was almost two months ago.” Mousesack said, cutting her off as realization crossed his face. “You haven’t bled in almost two months, you're nauseous, you became lightheaded and fainted a little while ago, and you vomited this morning?”

Calanthe looked from Eist to Mousesack and nodded.

“Well congratulations, your Majesty. You are with child.”

And with that Mousesack stood, clasped Eist on the shoulder, smiled warmly at Calanthe and headed for the door. Calanthe smiled as she watched Eist’s expression as his eyes followed Mousesack to the door. He did not look stunned, he had been suspecting too much for him to be caught by surprise, but he certainly looked happy, so much so he almost looked giddy with excitement.

“You’re sure?” Eist called after Mousesack as he took Calanthe’s hands in his.

Mousesack chuckled before responding, “I am quite sure.”

Eist smiled widely then as he turned his gaze back to Calanthe. She smiled back at him as a tear fell down her cheek. Calanthe was so happy she wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time.

“Mousesack.” Eist called again as he looked up just as Mousesack put his hand on the door.

“I won’t tell anyone, and we can discuss it more after we’ve all had some sleep.” Mousesack said as he turned and smiled, turning the doorknob as he did. “Goodnight, your Majesties.”

And with that Mousesack bowed and made his way out of their chambers and shut the door softly behind him.

Calanthe was sure she had never seen Eist look so happy as when he looked back down at her again. He looked even happier than he did the first time she had been pregnant with his child, before the miscarriage. For a moment sadness pained her as she thought about the child she lost, but she pushed the thought away.

“Are you happy?” Calanthe asked as Eist stared at her, looking like he was seeing her for the first time.

Eist smiled before letting go of her hands to take her face gently in his own before saying, “You have once again made me the happiest man on the Continent.”


	23. Chapter 12A - Eist

**Chapter 12A – Eist**

**Year – 1256**

The feeling of being so nauseous that vomiting occurred on a daily basis was one that Eist could not even begin to comprehend. Calanthe’s face continued to look thinner day by day as she struggled to keep food down and Eist was growing increasingly worried. While her last pregnancy had caused nausea, it was not quite like this. Calanthe was growing weaker day by day as her inability to keep food down grew worse. Eist had her favorite foods made in hopes that something would coax her to eat but it was to no avail. Instead almost everything that was served to her caused her to be sick just from the smell and sight of it.

Eist had woken early the day before they were due to sail back to Cintra. The room was only lit by a few candles on a table in the far corner. Eist had tried to keep the room warm for Calanthe as she typically preferred a warmer climate, but heat was beginning to bother her as well, so now before they went to sleep Eist would put out the fire and quickly crawl back into bed to pull Calanthe into him.

The room was cold when he woke, so cold that he pulled his feet back under the covers to warm them. When he looked down at Calanthe, she seemed content enough. He smiled as he looked down and watched her sleep with her head pressed against the side of his chest while her body was curled beside his with her leg draped over him. The sound of the waves crashing could be heard in the distance as Eist began to softly stroke his fingers up and down Calanthe’s back.

It was not long before seagulls began to squawk, and light began to seep around the edges of the window cover in the bedchamber. Eist yawned as he adjusted himself so that he was laying on his side and moved down on the bed, so he was face to face with Calanthe while she slept. She moved, but just for a moment until she settled against Eist as he wrapped his arms around her. Eist sighed as he pressed a soft kiss to Calanthe’s forehead and then suddenly had an idea. When Eist was a young boy, his mother would give him peppermint tea when his stomach was upset, and it always helped. Maybe the same could help Calanthe now.

Eist kissed Calanthe one more time on the forehead before climbing out of bed and pulling the covers up high over her. As he dressed, Eist constantly flicked his eyes to Calanthe to see if she was showing signs of waking. After he pulled his boots on, Eist quietly crossed the room, kissed Calanthe on the forehead and then began to make his way down to the kitchens.

The kitchen was a place that Eist could often be found as he grew from a boy into a man. He had a massive appetite growing up, which his mother swore only made him grow taller. When he entered the empty kitchen in Kaer Trolde, he quickly made his way to the spice cupboard and began to rummage through the different jars.

“Can I help you?”

Eist turned, looking over his shoulder to see who the voice belonged too. When Eist met the young kitchen maids’ eyes, she immediately bowed.

“I’m sorry, your Majesty. I did not know it was you.”

“It’s alright.” Eist said as he turned towards the young girl. “What is your name?”

“Calla, your Majesty.”

“Well Calla, I am looking for peppermint leaves, but can’t seem to find any. Do you know where they are at”

“We are all out. They have been ordered but they will not be here for weeks.”

Eist frowned. He was hoping to have the tea for Calanthe when she woke. He turned then to shut the cabinet doors and then thought of something else – Mousesack may have peppermint leaves amongst his fast array of potion ingredients.

“I will be back in a little while. Can you please have a kettle of boiling water prepared and a mule set aside?” Eist asked as he walked out of the kitchen and quickly began to make is way down the winding corridors of Kaer Trolde to Mousesack’s quarters.

When he reached Mousesack’s door, Eist knocked, but did not expect to hear a response. To his surprise, after a few moments Mousesack opened the door with a yawn.

“Yes?”

“Do you have any peppermint leaves? They are all out in the kitchens.”

Mousesack’s eyes widened as he realized that it was Eist standing in front of him. After he stifled another yawn, Mousesack stepped back and opened the door a little wider for Eist to walk through while saying “Of course, your Majesty.”

Eist entered Mousesack’s chambers to find several books open on a large table near the fire and several more stacked next to them.

“A bit of light reading?”

“Not quite, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as he crossed the room to a wall covered in shelves. It looked as though there were over a hundred jars and vials of all shapes and sizes full of ingredients.

“How much do you need?” Mousesack asked as he picked up a round, clear jar and made his way back to Eist.

“As many as you can spare.”

“For the Queen?” Mousesack asked as he handed the jar to Eist.

“Yes, I thought some tea may help her stomach.”

“It should help, but if it does not let me know. I can always make the same elixir for the Queen that helped Princess Pavetta.” Mousesack said as he motioned towards the chairs near the fire with the table of books in between them. “I’m researching what I can do to help the Princess.”

“Which one?”

“Well, both of them, but in particular Princess Cirilla. It’s one thing to teach a young woman how to control her powers, it’s another to teach a child.”

Eist sighed. “Except Princess Pavetta is not as in control of her powers as we thought.”

“It was one incident in six years. She let chaos get the better of her in a fit of anger and fright. Princess Cirilla on the other hand, her powers will soon rival her mother’s if what we saw the other day is any sense of what she will be capable of.”

“Do you think you can help her? What if there is no way too?”

“Don’t worry, your Majesty. There is always a way, and I will find it one way or another.”

“You’re a good friend, Mousesack.” Eist smiled as he stood and made his way to the door. “I need to get back. The Queen will be waking soon.”

“Of course.” Mousesack said from where he sat as he reached for one of the books on the table near him.

\--

After collecting the tray filled with a kettle, spoon, and mule from the kitchen, Eist quickly made his way back to their chambers.

Upon arriving, one of the guards opened the door for Eist while he held the tray. After he entered, Eist quickly made his way to their bedchamber, expecting to find Calanthe still asleep. The furs and blankets were thrown back and that was when Eist heard retching coming from the privy chamber. He set the tray down on the bed and quickly walked around through the open door of the privy to find Calanthe naked and on her knees, leaning over a basin.

As Eist quickly walked towards Calanthe, he noticed her shoulder blades jutting out more than they normally did. She had lost more weight than he thought. Eist leaned on his knees when he reached Calanthe and noticed that she was shaking, and her brow was covered in sweat.

“Where were you?” Calanthe asked as Eist pulled a few strands of hair from her face.

There was no anger or suspicion in her voice. She sounded exhausted and scared.

“I went to the kitchens and to see Mousesack.” Eist said softly as he kissed her on the temple.

Eist put his arm around her as she leaned forward and vomited again. When it was over, Calanthe barely had the strength to sit herself upright. After she managed to, Eist grabbed a pitcher of water they now kept nearby at all times to pour a glass for Calanthe. After she rinsed her mouth and spit into the basin, Eist put his arms around her and picked her up to carry her back to their bed.

After Eist rested her against the pillows and tucked her in, he quickly made his way to the other side of the bed where the tray was sitting.

“What’s that?” Calanthe asked as she took a deep breath while she nested herself further into the pillows at her back.

“Peppermint tea. I want you to try some. It may help your stomach.” Eist said while he began to take the lid off the jar and pull out several leaves.

Eist tore several leaves into smaller pieces and put them in one of the mules before filling the mule with water. After he finished, he set the mule back down and used the spoon to keep the leaves pressed to the bottom to steep. When he was finished, he looked up and saw Calanthe shiver.

“Are you cold?” Eist asked as he set the mule down on the tray.

“A little.” Calanthe said as she took another deep breath.

Eist silently walked to the fireplace and after a few moments had a small fire started. He returned to the mule of tea, stirred it, and handed it to Calanthe. She took it without question and after sniffing it, took a small sip. Eist smiled after she tested the taste of it on her tongue for a moment, and then quickly took a larger sip.

“You like it?” Eist asked.

Calanthe nodded her head as she took another sip.

“Good.” Eist said as he walked to her side of the bed and sat down on the edge. “Once you are finished do you want to try to eat something?”

Calanthe only groaned in response.

“Please?” Eist asked.

“It’s not that I don’t want to eat.” Calanthe said softly after finishing the tea. “I am hungry, it’s just that nothing stays down.”

“I know.” Eist whispered.

“Is there more water?” Calanthe asked. “That really was good.”

Eist smiled as he took the mule from her hand and returned to the tray to make her another round of peppermint tea. After a few moments, he handed it back to her and then began to make his way to the door.

“Where are you going now?” Calanthe asked as she took another sip of tea.

Eist turned back towards her, “To get you breakfast.”

Eist winced as he heard her groan again. After finding a servant, Eist requested that a plate of toast with butter and jam on the side be brought to their room along with another kettle of boiling water and a jug of beer brought up for him. Calanthe was where he left her, still nestled into the pillows and sipping the last of her tea.

“I think this is helping.” Calanthe said as Eist walked back into their bedchamber.

“Thank the Gods.” Eist whispered as he walked to Calanthe and bent down to kiss her on the lips. Eist smiled as Calanthe began to close her eyes when he pulled away from her. He reached his hand down to stroke her cheek as he whispered “Don’t fall asleep just yet, my love. Your breakfast will be here soon.”

Calanthe’s eyes opened then and for a moment she looked frightened at the prospect of attempting to eat again. He couldn’t blame her. He was not sure if he would want to eat if he was worried that it would only make him sick.

“It’s just toast, I promise.” Eist whispered as he bent down again and kissed her on her forehead.

A knock sounded at their door then, causing Eist to pull away to go and retrieve the food cart. When he returned to their bedchamber, he made quick work of steeping another mule of tea with the fresh boiling water.

“Do you want any butter or jam?” Eist asked as he put a piece of toast on a plate.

He glanced up at Calanthe as she shook her head softly, eyeing the toast like it was an enemy preparing to attack. Eist waited till the tea was ready and then walked to her to set the mule on her bedside table and put the plate of toast in her lap. He watched as Calanthe sighed, picked up the toast, took a small bite, and then quickly set it back down. Eist sighed as he crossed the room back to the rest of the toast and began to put butter and jam on several slices of toast for him. After he poured a mule of beer for himself, he pulled off his shirt, pants, and boots before climbing back into bed again. After he settled himself with his plate on his lap, he turned to see that Calanthe’s toast was gone.

“What did you do with it?” Eist asked as he eyed her empty plate.

“I ate it.” Calanthe said as she looked over at Eist, looking almost as shocked as he did.

“Do you want more?” Eist asked.

Before Calanthe could answer, Eist was already pushing back the covers to stand.

“Hang on.” Calanthe said.

Eist stopped only when he felt her hand fall on top of his.

“I don’t want to push my luck.”

Eist turned back to her and nodded before getting back into bed and eating his toast while Calanthe picked up her third glass of tea and began to drink. She finished before he did, and Eist smiled as Calanthe moved close to him and nestled herself against his side. He quickly finished his toast, downed his beer, and reached over to pick up Calanthe’s plate with his own before returning them to the tray.

“Are you still feeling alright?” Eist asked when he climbed back into bed and laid on his side as he pulled Calanthe against him.

He felt her chuckle softly as she pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

“What?” Eist whispered as she lifted her face to him.

“Nothing.” Calanthe whispered back.

Eist smiled as Calanthe scooted herself a little higher so she was face to face with him. Eist leaned forward then and nuzzled against her as she fell asleep. When he began to feel her steady breath against him, he leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her lips before falling asleep himself.

\--

“How much tea do you think I am going to drink?” Calanthe asked lightly as Eist tore a handful of peppermint leaves into smaller bits and divided them between the two jugs in front of him.

Eist chuckled as Calanthe rested her hand against his lower back as she leaned against him in their sitting room.

“I just don’t want you to run out.” Eist whispered as he turned to kiss Calanthe gently on the lips.

\--

Eist and Calanthe were the first of the family to arrive to the ship that morning. The ship was bustling with crew members as Eist led the way to the cabin at the back of the ship. When they arrived, Eist looked around and noticed that their trunks were already in their chambers, as were Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny’s. Eist set the two jugs of tea down along with a mule on the small dining table in the room when he heard a low growl. Eist turned towards the sound and found Calanthe looking at him with wide eyes from where she sat on the bed.

“Was that your stomach?” Eist asked as he turned to her.

Calanthe nodded. “I’m still hungry I guess.”

That morning Eist was pleased that Calanthe ate two slices of toast and an apple and was able to keep everything down. If she was hungry now, maybe her normal appetite was returning.

“I’ll be back.” Eist whispered as he crossed the room, kissed Calanthe on the lips, and then quickly made his way to the door. “I’m going to get you more food.”

\--

Eist was sprinting up the hill back towards the palace when he passed Pavetta walking hand-in-hand with Ciri.

Just as Pavetta began to look at Eist and raise her eyebrows, Eist said “I’ll be right back” and kept sprinting by.

When he reached the kitchens, Eist grabbed an empty sack on one of the counters and threw in several apples, a small roll of cheese, and a half a loaf of bread a long with a plate and knife

\--

When Eist returned to the ship, Duny, Vissegerd and Mousesack were already on board and were talking with Calanthe, Pavetta, and Ciri on the deck. Eist smiled as he approached the ship and saw Calanthe pick Ciri up in her arms and begin to cover her face with kisses.

After they left the harbor flanked by Crach and Bran’s separate ships, Ciri began to pull at Eist’s pant leg while Calanthe sat beside Pavetta on the deck while she ate a slice of bread topped with cheese.

“Can I show you my shells now Grandpapa?” Ciri asked as Eist looked down at her from where he stood at the bow of the ship.

Eist glanced over at the captain who nodded and smiled as Eist turned his attention away from the seas and followed Ciri back to where her Mother and Grandmother were.

“They’re in here!” Ciri exclaimed as she began to try to pull a small chest that was beside the chair that Pavetta was sitting in.

Eist chuckled as Ciri tugged as hard as she could on one of the handles on the chest but was still not able to move it.

“Here, let me get it.” Eist said as he went over and picked up the chest and moved it to be in the center of the deck.

The spent the next hour with Ciri pulling out each shell one by one and then running around showing it to everyone on board before returning back for the next one. Everyone had their own responses: Eist would do his best to look intrigued, Calanthe would look surprised, Pavetta would say each shell was beautiful, Duny and Mousesack would both look proud, and Vissegerd did his best to look impressed. Eist glanced up at one point and noticed the soft smile Calanthe was giving him as her hand rested on her stomach for a moment. Eist smiled back and only turned his gaze away when Ciri presented him with another shell.

When Ciri was finished, Calanthe stood and walked to Eist as he stood as well to stretch his back.

“I think I’m going to go lay down.” Calanthe said quietly after she reached him.

Eist cracked his back just before he nodded. “I’ll be down in a moment.”

Calanthe had started to turn away from him but stopped. “Darling, you don’t have to come down if you need to stay up here.”

“It’s alright. They will be fine without me for now. And besides,” Eist whispered to her. “I’d rather be with you anyway.”

Eist watched as Calanthe smirked before she turned and walked away as Eist made his way to the captain to let him know he would be below deck for a while.

When Eist began to make his way towards the lower deck, Pavetta walked in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

“Is my mother alright?” Pavetta asked quietly.

“Of course she is.” Eist said while Pavetta eyed him suspiciously. “Why would she not be?”

“Well, it’s just that neither yourself nor her have been to breakfast lately, she hardly eats anything at any other meal, she is exhausted all the time which is very unlike her. Oh, and her hand was resting on her stomach while she gazed at you a little while ago.”

Eist smirked before he realized what he was doing. He stopped himself quickly, but it was too late.

“Is she expecting?” Pavetta exclaimed quietly.

“Shh.” Eist whispered as he guided her towards the back of the ship, hoping that no one overheard them.

Eist and Calanthe had agreed to not share the news of their pregnancy until much later. The both of them were terrified of another miscarriage occurring and decided that they would wait to announce it after Calanthe was unable to hide it anymore. However, they had agreed to tell the family when they arrived back to Cintra during a private family meal that was to be held within the next week.

“She is!” Pavetta said, sounding more excited but quieter than before.

“I didn’t say that.” Eist said quickly.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Please don’t say anything. We’re going to announce it privately, to the family only in a few days.”

“I won’t say anything.” Pavetta said as she smiled.

“Good, because you know what happened last time. I will not have your Mother be put through a public announcement if we lose this child too.”

Pavetta nodded. “I understand. I will not say anything, I promise.”

\--

Eist found Calanthe under several heaps of blankets and sipping her peppermint tea when he returned. Her travel cloak and dress were thrown over a chair in the corner, making Eist smile as he quickly shed his clothes to join his naked wife in bed.

“How are you feeling?” Eist asked as he climbed into bed beside Calanthe.

“Ad little nauseous, but mostly I’m just tired.” Calanthe said as she took another sip of tea.

“So… Pavetta knows that your pregnant.”

Eist glanced over at Calanthe while her eyes narrowed as she turned to face him. “And how does she know that?” Calanthe asked suspiciously.

“She guessed it, and I may or may not have smiled after she did and confirmed her suspicions.”

Calanthe downed the rest of her tea, set the mule on the bedside table, and then turned back to Eist.

“I should be angry, but I can’t be.” Calanthe whispered as she moved closer to Eist and kissed him on the lips.

“And why is that?” Eist asked as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

“Because if the thought of having a child is making you so happy that you smile uncontrollably, then I can’t be angry with you for that.”

Eist smiled once more as he laid down and gently pulled Calanthe down to rest beside him. Calanthe moved so she laid on her side, pressed next to him while Eist laid on his side as well. Eist rested his hand gently against her stomach and began to rub his thumb softly up and down against it while Calanthe’s eyes slowly closed. For a moment Eist closed his eyes as well, content with Calanthe’s warm body snuggled against his as she drifted off to sleep. He was not tired, but he knew that laying with her would help her sleep. Eist opened his eyes as he continued to stroke his thumb over Calanthe’s stomach until realization fell over him. Her stomach was beginning to round, just slightly.

A smile crept across Eist’s face as he gently leaned down to pepper Calanthe’s face with soft kisses while she slept.

\--

The white Cintran roses were just beginning to bud as Eist and Calanthe led their group by horseback to Cintra. Eist glanced over as the palace began to loom over them as they approached to see Calanthe smile for a moment. He knew that Calanthe enjoyed her time on Skellige, but she had never been away from Cintra for so long during her entire reign, and Cintra was not only their kingdom, it was her home.

After greeting the royal household in the courtyard, Eist and Calanthe began to make their way to their chambers. Yuri and Maren were certainly happy to see Calanthe again and bustled around her as they unpacked. Lanx was happy to see Eist, and Eist had to admit that he was happy to see him as well.

“It’s good to see you again, your Majesty.” Lanx said as he bowed to Eist.

Eist smiled. “It’s good to see you again too.”

\--

While Calanthe was still settling back into their chambers, Eist made his way down to the kitchens and was pleased to find that the palace pantry had several jars of peppermint leaves on hand. After having another kettle of boiling water made, Eist requested that a larger kettle be brought to their chambers so Calanthe could have tea at any time without having to wait for someone to bring it to her.

When Eist arrived back at their chambers, he found that Yuri and Maren had left and Calanthe was sitting by the fire in their sitting room. Calanthe took the tea and smiled as she sipped it while Eist made himself comfortable beside her. After he sat, Eist noticed the pile of books on the table in front of them.

“I’d like to tour the entire palace and grounds tomorrow. I want to see what everyone has been up too.” Calanthe said in between sips of tea.

Eist leaned back on the couch and began to rub Calanthe’s back while she leaned forward.

“Alright.” Eist whispered as he closed his eyes. “Do you have anything in particular that you want to do before our evening meal is brought up?”

Eist watched as Calanthe drank the rest of her tea and leaned forward to pick up the book on the top of the pile.

“Why don’t we try to finish this? I believe it’s my turn to read.”

Eist moved further down the couch so he was sitting at the end. Calanthe laid herself down, putting her head in his lap while Eist settled his left hand to rest on the top of her head and his right on her stomach. They were able to finish the book just before their evening meal arrived, along with the kettle that Eist asked to be brought to their room.

Their meal was light, consisting of only chicken and vegetables. Eist was pleased to see that Calanthe was able to eat an entire plate of food as they spoke.

“Crach and Bran are staying for a few days?” Calanthe asked as she cut up a piece of chicken.

“Yes, they will be here till the end of the week.”

Calanthe nodded. “Since Pavetta already knows,” Calanthe said pointedly, “I’ll ask her to put together a small dinner in a few days so we can announce it.”

Eist smiled. “Good. So, I was thinking, do you want to turn the spare bed chamber into a nursery?”

A loud clink sounded as Calanthe dropped her fork. Eist looked up to see Calanthe staring at him with a blank look on her face.

“I only meant after the child is past a few months old, but we can do something different if you prefer it.” Eist said as he set his fork down as well.

Calanthe continued to stare for a moment before her eyes began to water. “I wish you would not make plans yet. It’s too early. We should wait a few more months to decide anything.”

“So, it’s not too early to tell our family, but it’s too early to think about anything else?”

Calanthe sat back in her chair as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You really want to put yourself through that if we lose this one too?”

Eist sighed as he leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table as he pressed his palms to his forehead. “I don’t want to spend the next, what five or six months, constantly being on edge.” He pulled his hands away from his forehead then. “We won’t lose this child.” Eist said when his eyes met Calanthe’s.

Calanthe sighed as she looked back at Eist before responding, “I wish I had your optimism.”

A few moments passed as Calanthe blinked the tears from her eyes before either of them spoke again.

“I’ll have to find room in my dressing room for your clothes to get them out of the spare room.” Calanthe said quietly after she finished her meal.

Eist looked up at Calanthe and smirked. “It won’t have to be right away. I assume you used that room for Pavetta. How old was she when you moved her out of your chambers and into the spare room?”

The look on Calanthe’s face was enough to tell him that he was very wrong about his assumption on where Pavetta stayed as an infant.

“Pavetta was not in my chambers for long. Roegner insisted that she be moved when she was three weeks old.”

“Three weeks? That’s awfully young.” Eist said, frowning. He had to admit that he was startled. He thought that was rather young for an infant to be away from her mother overnight, but maybe things were done different in Cintra compared to Skellige. “Is that what you wanted?”

Calanthe looked away for a moment before looking back at Eist, “No, it is not at all what I wanted. She was not allowed to be in our chambers, Hell I was not even permitted to feed her.”

“Why could you not feed her?”

“Because, I am a Queen. And Queen’s don’t do that apparently.”

“They do on Skellige. Why did you not ignore him and just do as you wished? She’s your daughter too.”

Calanthe smirked for a moment. “You still don’t get it, do you? A King will always have more power than a Queen in Cintra. I did what I had to do for Pavetta’s safety, and my own. Why do you think I put off getting married for so long after Roegner died?”

“Because we had not met yet?” Eist joked.

Calanthe laughed at that. “Yes, and because I promised myself that I wouldn’t be overshadowed or controlled ever again.”

“Do you feel that I’m overshadowing you, or controlling you for that matter?”

“No, not at all. Which is why I agreed to marry you.” Calanthe said softly as she gazed at him.

Eist smirked as he stood and walked around the table. He was pleased when Calanthe stood to face him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I thought you married me to save your kingdom?” Eist joked.

Calanthe smiled back at him. “I did, but that’s not the whole story, now is it?”

Eist pressed his forehead to Calanthe’s and took a deep breath, taking in the smell of juniper berries coming from her before he pressed a soft kiss to each eye as Calanthe closed them.

“I want you to know that our child will stay in our chambers for as long as you wish it. And you will feed our child yourself if that is what you want, okay?” Eist whispered as he nuzzled and kissed Calanthe against her ear.

Calanthe nodded against him before asking, “You are sure you are okay with that? It will be a lot of sleepless nights.”

“To be honest, I would prefer it if our child slept in our room, at least until they are a little older. And I would prefer it if you fed them as well.”

Eist could feel Calanthe smile against him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back.

“You know, I think I’m beginning to feel a bit tired.” Calanthe said as she leaned back in Eist’s arms. “Would you care to join me in bed?”

And with that Calanthe leaned forward and pressed a searing kiss to Eist’s lips before flicking her tongue into Eist’s mouth as he opened it for her. After a few moments of dueling their tongues, Calanthe took Eist by the hand and all but dragged him into their bedchamber.

\--

When they finished, Calanthe curled against Eist and rested her head against his shoulder while she caught her breath. Eist could not help but continue to press kisses to her forehead, over and over, while he stroked her hair. Eist glided his hand down Calanthe’s back then, all to rest it against her stomach.

“It seems our child is growing quite nicely.” Eist whispered as he leaned down and pressed another kiss to Calanthe’s forehead.

Calanthe’s fingers traced over Eist’s hand for a few moments until Calanthe pressed her palm gently over his.

“Have you changed your mind from before?” Calanthe asked softly as she turned her gaze up to meet Eist’s.

He smiled for a moment before asking, “Changed my mind about what, my love.”

“Do you want a boy or a girl?”

Eist leaned down again and pressed another kiss to her forehead. “I want a healthy child. That’s all that matters to me.”

He watched as Calanthe smiled as she leaned up towards him. Eist leaned down to meet her and press a kiss to her lips. Before Eist laid back to fall asleep, he moved down the bed, and pressed a kiss to her stomach, just below her navel.

“I love you.” Eist whispered as he pressed another soft kiss to her.

Calanthe’s hands were in his hair then, gently running them through his wavy, unruly hair. Eist looked up at her and quickly crawled back up the bed and assumed the position he had been in before.

“And I love you.” Eist whispered as he kissed Calanthe on the lips.

“I love you too.” She whispered back.

They fell asleep soon after as they gently nuzzled each other while they laid in each other’s arms.


	24. Chapter 12B - Calanthe

**Chapter 12B – Calanthe**

**Year – 1256**

Calanthe was not used to her newfound lack of energy. Each morning when she woke, she seemed to use all she had just to make it into the privy chamber.

The mornings had quickly become routine. Calanthe would wake somewhere between the fourth and fifth morning bell, well before the sun began to rise. She would stumble into the privy chamber and promptly let lose all of the contents in her stomach. Eist would be there then, holding her so she didn’t fall. When it was over, some mornings she could stand and walk back to the bed on her own, other mornings she could not. Those mornings Eist would gently pick her up and carry her back to their bed.

It took a little while for Calanthe to convince Eist that she truly could not stomach most foods anymore. The smell, the sight, everything about the food that was served to her made her sick, despite how hungry she was. They had resorted to Eist going to the kitchens, eating something substantial for his evening meal as quickly as he could, and then taking something much, much milder back for Calanthe to eat.

Eist did what he could to distract Calanthe, to help her focus on anything other than how sick she truly felt. Very few days now she had the energy to attend court, much less take a walk down to the harbor. Calanthe felt bad, Eist did not enjoy politics, but each morning after he would convince her to take a few sips of water and a few bites of toast, Eist would reluctantly attend court for a few hours. Afterword, Eist would return to Calanthe in their chambers so they could eat their mid-day meal together and discuss what had occurred at court.

Calanthe used her time as well as she could when she was alone in their chambers. Her daily correspondence was brought to her by Vissegerd himself, who was eager to get back to Cintra.

“Your Majesty, are you sure you are well?” Vissegerd asked after Calanthe invited him into her chambers.

“I am fine. You worry nearly as much as the King.” Calanthe said as she took the pile of correspondence he handed her and sat on the couch.

“I apologize, your Majesty.”

Calanthe looked up at Vissegerd as he fidgeted where he stood.

“Clearly something is bothering you, speak freely.” Calanthe said as she used her thumb to open the letter at the top of the pile first.

“It’s just… you have not been to court, which is very much unlike you. And you do not look well.” Vissegerd said as he stared at the floor.

Calanthe took a deep breath. She was well aware of how she looked, but she was hoping it had gone unnoticed.

“I am fine.” Calanthe repeated. “I am just homesick is all.”

“Forgive me your Majesty, for I miss Cintra as well, but are you sure this is not something more?”

“Vissegerd, I will only repeat myself one more time. I am fine, and I will be even better when we arrive to Cintra in two days’ time.”

“Of course, your Majesty. Do you need anything else?”

“No, that is all.”

Vissegerd bowed before he headed towards the door.

“Vissegerd?” Calanthe called after him just as his hand reached for the doorknob.

He turned in silence to face Calanthe again. “Your Majesty?”

“Is there gossip at court due to my lack of attendance?”

“I would not call it gossip, your Majesty, not like there would be at home. The Skelligan’s truly seem worried. Your nephew is beside himself and it is all the King can do to quell his anxiety.”

Calanthe sighed as she stood, wavering for just a moment until she caught herself against the couch.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said before Vissegerd could speak. “Excuse me for a moment.” Calanthe said as she walked into the bedchamber and shut the door.

She felt so run down she could scream. Calanthe sat herself at the vanity and sighed as she looked at her reflection. Her face had thinned, and her eyes looked heavy. There was almost no color left in her face. She truly did not look well. With a shaky hand, Calanthe opened the pot that held her maroon lip color and dabbed the smallest amount onto her lips and cheeks. At least it brought a little life to her. She pulled out her braid and redid it, pinning the crown braid in place and then rebraided the rest to trail down her back. She changed her dress from the loose fitting one that she wore to a dark green velvet one that cinched at the waist. Her stomach had the slightest of bumps, so slight that Eist had not even noticed yet. The dress was looser now than when it was first made for her, showing in yet another way how thin she had become. She could still get away with wearing this dress for now without causing any more rumors to start.

After taking a few moments to sit to ease her dizziness after changing her dress, she slipped on a pair of boots and then headed back to Vissegerd.

Before he could speak, Calanthe asked, “Will you escort me to court?”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Vissegerd said as he stood.

Vissegerd had insisted on staying in Skellige until Calanthe returned to Cintra, even after the threat from the doppler was gone. She had tried to convince him to go back, but the Marshal refused. Instead it was agreed that Danek and Lazlo would return to Cintra in his stead.

“It’s good experience for the boy. Danek is a good lad and a fine solider. And my place is with my Queen.”

“No, your place is in Cintra.” Calanthe said.

“Exactly. You are Cintra, you have been from the moment you were crowned.”

Calanthe felt foolish, needing an escort just to make her way around the palace. However dizzy spells had hit her repeatedly over the last few weeks. It was one thing to be able to sit on a couch or bed immediately, it was another to potentially collapse on a stone floor in an empty corridor or down a flight of stairs.

As they approached the open court of Skellige, Calanthe could barely make out Eist’s face as he sat on his throne. He was leaning to his right, with his arm resting on the armrest. He looked bored out of his mind, but yet was so clearly trying to focus at the same time. The sight of him made Calanthe smile. Eist was wearing a navy-blue brocade doublet with dark green details and gold buttons. He had not slicked his hair back, so today it looked like a mop of wavy curls. His beard had grown just a little longer and was now at the length that he preferred it at.

Calanthe was not sure if Eist saw her out of the corner of his eye, or if he heard her approaching, but either way he turned his head abruptly. His face was a mixture of happiness and concern as he stood suddenly and turned in her direction. Before Calanthe could see anyone else, she the other chairs in the court sound against the floor as they were pushed back to stand along with their King.

Eist was looking at Calanthe, his eyes clearly asking why she was approaching him.

“My Queen.” Eist said when Calanthe reached them.

Out of the corner of Calanthe’s eye, she could see everyone else in the court bow to her.

“Excuse us.” Eist said before Calanthe could speak as he put his arm gently on her elbow and guided her from the court and back into the corridor that she came from.

“What’s wrong?” Eist asked, his eyes full of worry.

“You always think something is wrong.” Calanthe quipped back.

“Fair enough,” Eist grumbled as he reached for Calanthe’s hand. “But you didn’t answer my question. Is something wrong?”

“No,” Calanthe said sternly. “However, you neglected to tell me that there was court gossip going on.”

“That’s because it doesn’t matter. They are worried for you, that is all. Who told you anyway?”

“Vissegerd.”

Eist nodded as he whispered. “I’m sorry I did not tell you, but you are exhausted and can’t keep any food down. Your well-being and the well-being of our child is worth much more than the trivial matters I am dealing with in court.”

Calanthe sighed. “I understand you are worried, but we do not keep things from each other. That is not what we do.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Eist whispered again as he gently rubbed Calanthe’s hand while he held it in his.

She could hear it in his voice, he was sorry. Sorry and desperate for her to not be angry with him.

“It’s fine.” Calanthe whispered back as she quickly glanced around. When she did not spot anyone, she leaned up and kissed him gently on the lips. “We should get back inside though.”

Just as the words left her, Calanthe stumbled for a moment as a bought of dizziness hit her.

“Don’t.” Calanthe said as Eist looked at her, clearly ready to usher her back to their chambers. “Just take my hand and you can escort me in.”

Eist sighed but took her hand anyway. The courtiers and citizens that had come to issue their grievances began to gather into small groups and converse. When Eist and Calanthe reentered the court room, the groups quickly dispersed as they bowed. Eist only let go of her hand after Calanthe was seated and promptly shifted himself so he was no longer leaning towards the right, empty side of his throne and instead leaned towards the left where Calanthe sat.

“Excuse my interruption, my good lords.” Calanthe said as she addressed the room. “I have been feeling a little under the weather as of late, but thought it was time to rejoin the King at court.” Calanthe could see Vissegerd eye her from the far side of the room. She had not told him she had not been feeling well. She glanced over at Eist then, who gave her a forced smile while his eyes continued to brim with worry.

After a few moments, he turned back to the court as he said, “Alright lads, where were we?”

\--

Calanthe woke the next day, tucked snuggly into their bed. After reaching out for Eist with her eyes closed, Calanthe sat up, scanning the dark room for her husband that was only lit by a few candles. She had sat up to suddenly though, and a bought of dizziness quickly washed over her. She laid back down against the pillows and took a few slow and steady breaths to help it pass. After a few minutes, Calanthe carefully made her way out of bed and first checked the privy, and then the sitting room in search of Eist. Just after she entered the sitting room to find it empty, the first wave of nausea hit her for that morning.

The first heave brought up nothing as she used all of the energy in her to sprint towards the privy and only barely made it to the basin before second heave, this time bringing up last nights’ dinner. Calanthe was on her knees, retching as tears stung her eyes while she weakly held herself up with both of her hands pressed against the floor on either side of the basin. She could feel herself begin to shake as she grew weaker by the second while sweat began to form on her brow.

She sat up just a little straighter as she heard their chamber door open and close. It only took a few moments for Eist to find her.

“Where were you?” Calanthe asked while he pulled strands of loose hair from her face that had come out of her braid overnight.

She was exhausted, worn out, and scared. None of her previous pregnancies were like this and she was only getting worse by the day. There was no end in sight, at least not any time soon for her to feel better and she was not sure how much more of this she could take.

“I went to the kitchens and to see Mousesack.” Eist said softly as he kissed her on the temple.

Calanthe tried to nod, but instead leaned forward and vomited again as Eist put his arm around her. It took a few moments, but Calanthe managed to sit upright again as Eist handed her a glass of water that she used to rinse her mouth. She focused all her strength on standing then, but Eist was too fast for her. He quickly swooped her into his arms and carried her back to their bed. She smiled and closed her eyes while he fluffed the pillows around her and tucked her in.

“What’s that?” Calanthe asked, noticing the tray on the bed for the first time as she took a deep breath while she nested herself further into the pillows at her back.

“Peppermint tea. I want you to try some. It may help your stomach.” Eist said as he began to take the lid off the jar and pull out several leaves.

Calanthe raised her brow as she watched him carefully prepare her tea. She had never had it before and was intrigued. Court physicians in the past had advised her to chew on peppermint leaves when her stomach was upset but had never prescribed tea to her. When Eist glanced up at her, Calanthe shivered as the cold air made her skin prickle.

“Are you cold?” Eist asked.

“A little.” Calanthe said as she took another deep breath to steady her stomach.

Eist silently walked to the fireplace and after a few moments had a small fire started. He returned to the mule of tea, stirred it, and handed it to Calanthe. She took it without question and after sniffing it, took a small sip. Calanthe was surprised, not only did the smell not bother her, but it tasted delicious. Calanthe swallowed the first sip and then quickly took a larger one, practically gulping it down. She could feel her stomach already beginning to quiet, giving her the relief that she craved so badly.

“You like it?” Eist asked.

Calanthe nodded her head as she took another sip.

“Good.” Eist said as he walked to her side of the bed and sat down on the edge. “Once you are finished do you want to try to eat something?”

Calanthe groaned. Just the thought of food was enough to make her queasy. Still, she was hungry. It was a strange feeling, to be nauseous and hungry at the same time.

“Please?” Eist asked.

“It’s not that I don’t want to eat.” Calanthe said softly after finishing the tea. “I am hungry, it’s just that nothing stays down.”

“I know.” Eist whispered.

“Is there more water?” Calanthe asked. “That really was good.”

Eist smiled as he took the mule from her hand and returned to the tray to make her another round of peppermint tea. After a few moments, he handed it back to her and then began to make his way to the door.

“Where are you going now?” Calanthe asked as she took another sip of tea.

Eist turned back towards her, “To get you breakfast.”

Calanthe let out another groan at the thought of eating as she nestled back into the pillows and continued to drink her tea.

“I think this is helping.” Calanthe said as Eist walked back into their bedchamber.

“Thank the Gods.” Eist whispered as he walked to Calanthe and bent down to kiss her on the lips. Calanthe began to close her eyes when he pulled away from her. Her stomach felt calmer than it had in weeks. The feeling was so calming that all she wanted to do was sleep. Her eyes were only closed for a moment when Eist reached his hand down to stroke her cheek as he whispered “Don’t fall asleep just yet, my love. Your breakfast will be here soon.”

Calanthe opened her eyes as fear shot through her. Just when she had started to feel good.

“It’s just toast, I promise.” Eist whispered as he bent down again and kissed her on her forehead.

A knock sounded at their door then, causing Eist to pull away to go and retrieve the food cart. When he returned to their bedchamber, he made quick work of steeping another mule of tea with the fresh boiling water.

“Do you want any butter or jam?” Eist asked as he put a piece of toast on a plate.

Calanthe shook her head as she looked at the toast. To her surprise, the smell was unpleasant per usual, but it was not making her nauseous either. She watched in silence as Eist readied her tea and brought the tea and plate of toast to her, sitting it on her lap. Calanthe sighed as she picked up the toast, took a small bite, and then quickly set it back down.

As Eist began to prepare his own toast while Calanthe sat, waiting for the sickness to come on again.

Only this time it didn’t.

Calanthe took another bite of toast, and then another. It felt good to eat, even something as bland as toast. Eist laid down next to her after he shed his clothes and boots and made himself comfortable while Calanthe finished her plate.

“What did you do with it?” Eist asked as he looked over at her, staring at her plate.

“I ate it.” Calanthe said as she looked over at Eist.

“Do you want more?” Eist asked.

Before Calanthe could answer, Eist was already pushing back the covers to stand.

“Hang on.” Calanthe said as she reached for Eist and rested her hand on top of his to stop him. “I don’t want to push my luck.”

Eist turned back to her and nodded before getting back into bed and eating his toast while Calanthe picked up her third glass of tea and began to drink. She finished before he did, and for a moment her stomach grumbled, craving more food. She resisted though, if what she ate settled, she would eat more later. Calanthe moved close to him and nestled herself against his side. He quickly finished his toast, downed his beer, and reached over to pick up Calanthe’s plate with his own before returning them to the tray.

“Are you still feeling alright?” Eist asked when he climbed back into bed and laid on his side as he pulled Calanthe against him.

Calanthe chuckled. Eist would never stop worrying for her. Apart of her wished he would, but she also found it endearing.

“What?” Eist whispered as she lifted her face to him.

“Nothing.” Calanthe whispered back as she moved herself up higher, so she was face to face with Eist.

Eist leaned forward then and nuzzled against her as she fell asleep.

\--

“How much tea do you think I am going to drink?” Calanthe asked lightly as Eist tore a handful of peppermint leaves into smaller bits and divided them between the two jugs in front of him.

Eist chuckled as Calanthe rested her hand against his lower back as she leaned against him in their sitting room.

“I just don’t want you to run out.” Eist whispered as he turned to kiss Calanthe gently on the lips.

Eist and Calanthe were the first of the family to arrive to the ship that morning. The ship was bustling with crew members as Eist led Calanthe to the cabin at the back of the ship. Calanthe sat herself on the bed while Eist sat down the jugs with the large amount of tea he insisted on bringing with them, and then she felt her stomach growl.

“Was that your stomach?” Eist asked as he turned to her.

Calanthe nodded. “I’m still hungry I guess.”

Calanthe had been able to eat two slices of toast and an apple that morning. It was not much, but the food did not make her sick, and it gave her more energy than she had in weeks.

“I’ll be back.” Eist whispered as he crossed the room, kissed Calanthe on the lips, and then quickly made his way to the door. Before Calanthe could ask where he was going, Eist said “I’m going to get you more food.”

A smile crossed Calanthe’s face as Eist quickly made his way down the hall as she shook her head slightly. Eist was always caring for her, always.

\--

Ciri’s excitement could be heard below deck as she came aboard. Calanthe took the stairs to the upper deck slowly, bracing herself with her hand on the wall as she carefully made her way. Just as Calanthe had both feet on the upper deck, Ciri sprinted at her with her eyes wide.

“Grandmama!”

Calanthe grinned from ear to ear as she picked Ciri up in her arms and covered her little face with kisses.

\--

Eist brought back a sack full of food and sat it on the ground beside where Calanthe had sat beside Pavetta after letting Ciri down to run around the deck.

“You seem to be feeling better.” Pavetta said as Calanthe ate a slice of bread topped with cheese.

“I do, at least enough to get some food in my stomach.”

Calanthe noticed Pavetta eye her, almost suspiciously, but before she could say anything else, Eist was walking towards her and picked up a small chest that Ciri had been attempting to tug that was beside Pavetta’s chair. Calanthe smiled while during the next hour, Ciri pulled out each shell, one by one, and showed them to everyone. For just a moment, Calanthe rested her hand over her stomach, feeling the smallest of bumps under her hand. Over time though, Calanthe found herself growing tired.

She waited until Ciri was finished with each of her shells before standing and making her way to Eist, who also stood from where he sat on the deck next to Ciri to stretch his back.

“I think I’m going to go lay down.” Calanthe said quietly when she reached Eist.

“I’ll be down in a moment.” Eist said as he nodded and cracked his back.

Calanthe had started to turn away from him but stopped. “Darling, you don’t have to come down if you need to stay up here.”

“It’s alright. They will be fine without me for now. And besides,” Eist whispered to her. “I’d rather be with you anyway.”

Calanthe smirked as she walked away from Eist and down the stairs.

\--

The cabin below deck was cold as Calanthe poured herself a mule of peppermint tea as she sat on the bed and kicked her boots off. Her stomach was beginning to feel upset and she hoped she had not indeed pushed her luck with eating too much food. The tea was cold, and now instead of tasting warm and comforting, it tasted cool and refreshing. After her boots were off, she slipped out of her travel cloak and dress, threw them over a chair in the corner and then climbed into bed. She was sipping her tea when Eist entered the cabin. When he saw her, his eyes quickly darted to the corner, noticing her cloak and dress. Calanthe smiled and shook her head as Eist all but ripped his clothes off before getting into bed beside her.

“How are you feeling?” Eist asked as he climbed into bed beside Calanthe.

“A little nauseous, but mostly I’m just tired.” Calanthe said as she took another sip of tea.

“So… Pavetta knows that your pregnant.”

Calanthe turned to Eist, narrowing her eyes as she did. _How the Hell did Pavetta know?_

“And how does she know that?” Calanthe asked suspiciously.

“She guessed it, and I may or may not have smiled after she did and confirmed her suspicions.”

Calanthe downed the rest of her tea, set the mule on the bedside table, and then turned back to Eist.

“I should be angry, but I can’t be.” Calanthe whispered as she moved closer to Eist and kissed him on the lips.

“And why is that?” Eist asked as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

“Because if the thought of having a child is making you so happy that you smile uncontrollably, then I can’t be angry with you for that.”

Eist laid down and gently pulled Calanthe down to rest beside him. Calanthe moved so she was laying on her side and pressed against Eist while he also laid on his side, facing her. She closed her eyes and then felt Eist rest his hand against her stomach and begin to rub his thumb softly over it while her eyes fluttered close, waiting to see if he would notice her stomach beginning to swell. If he noticed, he did not show it as she drifted off to sleep.

\--

The white Cintran roses were just beginning to bud as Eist and Calanthe led their group by horseback back to Cintra. Calanthe could not help the smile that crossed her face as she took in the city before her. She had missed her kingdom, her home, more than she realized.

After greeting the royal household in the courtyard, Eist and Calanthe began to make their way to their chambers. Yuri and Maren were certainly happy to see Calanthe again and bustled around her as they unpacked.

“Are you well your Majesty?” Yuri asked as she began to unpack several of the items that Calanthe had brought back with her in a few trunks.

“I am. It’s good to be back.” Calanthe whispered while Maren pulled Calanthe’s braid out and began to brush her hair.

“What are these?” Yuri asked as she pulled out Calanthe’s leather doublet and pants.

Calanthe glanced through the looking glass and laughed as Yuri held the pants up.

“They are mine.”

“Yours, your Majesty? Isn’t that a little risqué?”

Calanthe raised her brow before responding, “It may be, but I like them. And besides, according to the King they are… quite flattering.”

\--

After Calanthe dismissed Yuri and Maren, insisting that she was fine, Calanthe sat herself by the fire in the sitting room. She was glad to have their company again. She had to admit that she missed the help and companionship of her handmaidens. A pile of books sat on the table between the couch she sat on and the other, and just as she went to pick up the top book, Eist came back into their chambers, caring everything he needed to make her more tea. After he finished steeping the peppermint tea, he handed it to her as he sat down beside her with his leg pressed against hers.

“I’d like to tour the entire palace and grounds tomorrow. I want to see what everyone has been up too.” Calanthe said in between sips of tea.

Eist leaned back on the couch and began to rub Calanthe’s back while she leaned forward.

“Alright.” Eist whispered. “Do you have anything in particular that you want to do before our evening meal is brought up?”

Calanthe drank the rest of her tea and leaned forward to pick up the book on the top of the pile.

“Why don’t we try to finish this? I believe it’s my turn to read.”

Calanthe waited until Eist finished moving himself to the far end of the couch to lay herself down and put her head in his lap. She smiled as she lifted the book to her face while Eist settled one hand on the top of her head and the other on her stomach. She was able to finish reading the book just before their evening meal arrived for them, along with the kettle that Eist must have asked to be brought to their room.

Their meal was light, consisting of only chicken and vegetables. Calanthe’s stomach continued to feel calm and to her own surprise, was able to finish her plate.

“Crach and Bran are staying for a few days?” Calanthe asked as she cut up a piece of chicken.

“Yes, they will be here till the end of the week.”

Calanthe nodded. “Since Pavetta already knows,” Calanthe said pointedly, “I’ll ask her to put together a small dinner in a few days so we can announce it.”

“Good. So, I was thinking, do you want to turn the spare bed chamber into a nursery?”

Calanthe was not often caught off guard and prided herself on always being a step ahead of people, but that question caught her off guard. She had deliberately not put thought into anything past giving birth to her child. The thought of looking to the future any more than that made her feel like she would curse it.

“I only meant after the child is past a few months old, but we can do something different if you prefer it.” Eist said as he set his fork down as well.

Calanthe continued to stare for a moment before her eyes began to water without her permission. She could not help but to think back to when Roegner forced her to put Pavetta in her own chambers at only three weeks old. Even with Eist, she had thought that it would be the same way this time. “I wish you would not make plans yet. It’s too early. We should wait a few more months to decide anything.”

“So, it’s not too early to tell our family, but it’s too early to think about anything else?”

Calanthe sat back in her chair as she crossed her arms over her chest. He really was not getting it. “You really want to put yourself through that if we lose this one too?”

Eist sighed as he leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table as he pressed his palms to his forehead. “I don’t want to spend the next, what five or six months, constantly being on edge.” He pulled his hands away from his forehead then. “We won’t lose this child.” Eist said when his eyes met Calanthe’s.

Calanthe sighed as she looked back at Eist before responding, “I wish I had your optimism.”

A few moments passed as Calanthe blinked the tears from her eyes before either of them spoke again.

“I’ll have to find room in my dressing room for your clothes to get them out of the spare room.” Calanthe said, doing her best to lighten the mood after she finished her meal while also praying that she did not just curse her child.

Eist looked up at Calanthe and smirked. “It won’t have to be right away. I assume you used that room for Pavetta. How old was she when you moved her out of your chambers and into the spare room?”

“Pavetta was not in my chambers for long. Roegner insisted that she be moved when she was three weeks old.”

“Three weeks? That’s awfully young.” Eist said as he frowned. He looked surprised. “Is that what you wanted?”

Calanthe looked away for a moment before looking back at Eist. She knew he only asked that question because he did not know the circumstances. Eist did not know how Calanthe would lay at the very edge of the bed she shared with Roegner, facing away from him as tears fell down her eyes till she fell asleep. He did not know that when Roegner would be away for the night, Calanthe would go to Pavetta’s chambers and bring her to sleep with her. Calanthe would push all the pillows onto the floor and rest Pavetta beside her, resting her hand gently on her tummy to try to keep her from rolling while they slept. When the morning would come, Calanthe would wake early, dress quickly, and return Pavetta to her chambers to dress her. Roegner never seemed to catch on, and the guards and the governess of Pavetta were kind enough to keep those special nights a secret. “No, it is not at all what I wanted. She was not allowed to be in our chambers, Hell I was not even permitted to feed her.”

“Why could you not feed her?”

“Because, I am a Queen. And Queen’s don’t do that apparently.” Tears stung Calanthe’s eyes again.

“They do on Skellige. Why did you not ignore him and just do as you wished? She’s your daughter too.”

Calanthe smirked for a moment. “You still don’t get it, do you? A King will always have more power than a Queen in Cintra. I did what I had to do for Pavetta’s safety, and my own. Why do you think I put off getting married for so long after Roegner died?”

“Because we had not met yet?” Eist joked.

Calanthe laughed at that. “Yes, and because I promised myself that I wouldn’t be overshadowed or controlled ever again.”

“Do you feel that I’m overshadowing you, or controlling you for that matter?”

“No, not at all. Which is why I agreed to marry you.” Calanthe said softly as she gazed at him.

Eist smirked as he stood and walked around the table. Calanthe stood to face him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I thought you married me to save your kingdom?” Eist joked.

Calanthe smiled back at him. “I did, but that’s not the whole story, now is it?”

Eist pressed his forehead to Calanthe’s and took a deep breath before he pressed a soft kiss to each eye as Calanthe closed them.

“I want you to know that our child will stay in our chambers for as long as you wish it. And you will feed our child yourself if that is what you want, okay?” Eist whispered as he nuzzled and kissed Calanthe against her ear.

Calanthe felt so happy she wanted to cry. Relief flooded through her as tension that she did not realize was there melted from her. She nodded against him before asking, “You are sure you are okay with that? It will be a lot of sleepless nights.”

“To be honest, I would prefer it if our child slept in our room, at least until they are a little older. And I would prefer it if you fed them as well.”

Calanthe smiled against him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

“You know, I think I’m beginning to feel a bit tired.” Calanthe said as she leaned back in Eist’s arms. “Would you care to join me in bed?”

And with that Calanthe leaned forward and pressed a searing kiss to Eist’s lips before flicking her tongue into Eist’s mouth as he opened it for her. After a few moments of dueling their tongues, Calanthe took Eist by the hand and all but dragged him into their bedchamber.

\--

When they finished, Calanthe curled against Eist and rested her head against his shoulder while she caught her breath. Eist pressed kiss after kiss, over and over, to her forehead while he stroked her hair. She smiled, relaxing a little more with each kiss as his beard gently grazed the bridge of her nose. Eist glided his hand down Calanthe’s back then, all to rest it against her stomach.

“It seems our child is growing quite nicely.” Eist whispered as he leaned down and pressed another kiss to Calanthe’s forehead.

Calanthe smiled as her fingers traced over Eist’s hand then for a few moments until Calanthe pressed her palm gently over his. She was pleased that he noticed the change, even though it was small.

“Have you changed your mind from before?” Calanthe asked softly as she turned her gaze up to meet Eist’s.

He smiled for a moment before asking, “Changed my mind about what, my love.”

“Do you want a boy or a girl?”

Eist leaned down again and pressed another kiss to her forehead. “I want a healthy child. That’s all that matters to me.”

Calanthe smiled as she leaned up towards Eist while he leaned down to meet her in return to press a kiss to her lips. Eist crawled down the bed then, and for a moment Calanthe wondered what he was doing. She smiled when Eist pressed a kiss to her stomach.

“I love you.” Eist whispered as he pressed another soft kiss to her.

Calanthe ran her hands through Eist’s wavy, unruly hair. She smiled, knowing how in love Eist already was with their child. The anxiety that had been plaguing her ripped through her again, but only for a moment. She quickly pushed it away and instead chose to focus on Eist as his eyes met hers. He quickly crawled back up so he and Calanthe could curl together again.

“And I love you.” Eist whispered as he kissed Calanthe on the lips.

“I love you too.” She whispered back.

They fell asleep soon after as they gently nuzzled each other while they laid in each other’s arms.


	25. Chapter 13A - Eist

**Chapter 13A – Eist**

**Year 1256**

The sun streamed into the room that Eist and Calanthe sat in, surrounded by their various advisors. A single ray fell across Eist’s arm, making it uncomfortably warm, causing him to pull it out of the light and sigh. He could not stand these meetings, and the older he got, the worse he was at hiding it. Eist rarely attended meetings with advisors if he could avoid it, and if he did, he would typically have taken his leave by now. Warm days like this were better spent at the harbor with Ciri on his shoulders anyway. Since Eist had learned of Calanthe’s pregnancy, he now attended every meeting regardless of whether or not she was present. It seemed wrong to be away from Calanthe now, even though he found these meetings rather a bore.

The only topics of discussion Eist was interested in had already passed. The Cintran harbor was being expanded to add space to dock additional ships. This would open up trade and allow for additional warships if need be. Cintran soldiers would also begin spending two additional weeks training which would allow them to get a taste as to what it was to fight like a Skelligan, according to the Queen. Eist would decide what they would learn and then it was up to Vissegerd, Danek, and Duny to ensure that it was taught. Eist leaned back in his chair and turned his eyes towards the ceiling for just a moment until Calanthe squeezed his hand under the table. That was his cue, he was being too obvious with his lack of interest. He glanced over at her and smirked before turning his attention back to where it should be.

“I don’t see the point in continuing girls’ education past the age of ten. It is really quite pointless, not to mention an expense that is unnecessary.”

Eist stared at the man that was speaking as he focused in again on the conversation at hand. He remembered him well. Lord Hilqvuest had been lurking around the castle as a member of the Cintran aristocracy. He never liked the man and rather enjoyed it when Hilqvuest attempted to attack him at Pavetta’s betrothal banquet. It gave him a reasonable excuse to backhand him across the face. After the events at the banquet, Hilqvuest was rarely seen at court and had apparently only slithered back into it while Eist and Calanthe were away in Skellige over the past two months.

“Really? You believe that educating young girls is an unnecessary expense?”

Eist leaned back in his seat as he smirked. Pavetta had shown a strong interest in education years ago and arguing that girls in particular should not receive much of an education was not wise to do in front of Pavetta, let alone Calanthe.

“It would not affect the Princess Cirilla.” Hilqvuest said, not attempting to hide his annoyance.

“Careful.” Calanthe said as she sat up a little straighter than she had before. “You know damn well that all children are taught equally in Cintra, regardless of gender.”

“I am well aware of that, your Majesty.” Hilqvuest said as he eyed Calanthe. “It was only a suggestion.”

Eist laughed out loud, not even attempting to hold it back as he normally would. “A suggestion? A suggestion to what, save the crown money?” Eist asked.

Hilqvuest went to respond but Eist did not give him the chance to.

“That is an interesting suggestion, considering the crown is nowhere near in debt. If I remember correctly, you were one of the lords that was opposed to the Queen ruling without a King.”

Hilqvuest stayed silent as Eist stared back at him.

“You see, I don’t believe you are at all interested in saving the crown money. I believe you are threatened by women. Cintra is well known for educating all of its children, as well as teaching them how to wield a sword in the process, which traditionally happens after the age of ten. If you take that away, you force the girls to become dependent on men as they grow because you have taken away their ability to fend for themselves. Tell me Hilqvuest, what exactly do you find so terrifying about a woman that wields her own power?”

Eist cut Hilqvuest off yet again and was enjoying the look of irritation that was crossing Hilqvuest’s face.

“Tell me, please. I am rather curious. I personally find it rather alluring when a woman holds an immense amount of power.” Eist said as he turned and winked at Calanthe.

Calanthe looked furious, but only for a moment until the corners of her mouth began to turn upward into a smile that she was clearly trying to hide while she shook her head at Eist.

“I am not intimidated by women.” Hilqvuest spat out.

“Are you sure about that?” Pavetta asked from where she sat beside him, smiling with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Excuse me, your Majesties.” Hilqvuest stood and stormed quickly out of the room, snatching up the loose parchment in front of him as he did. Eist’s gaze followed him out of the room and then turned back to Calanthe.

“Well, I think we’ll leave it here. I believe we have had enough for one day.”

Eist stayed seated, as did Pavetta and Mousesack, while the rest of the advisors gathered their belongings and made their way out of the room.

“Why do you keep that little shit around?” Eist asked when the last advisor shut the door behind him.

“It’s called politics, Darling. Besides, I cannot reluctantly kill every man that disagrees with me, regardless of how much of a little shit he may be.” Calanthe said as she leaned forward while she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Was I not supposed to say what I said?” Eist asked as he looked at Calanthe.

“I would not have.” Mousesack said as he spoke up from the opposite end of the table. “Hilqvuest has a lot of friends at court, friends that will be told about the disrespect you just so kindly disposed upon him.”

Eist sighed as he sat up in his chair. “Do you want me to apologize to him?”

Calanthe laughed, causing Pavetta, Mousesack, and Eist to all jump slightly at her unexpected reaction. “No, you will not apologize to him.” Calanthe said as she sat up straight again and turned to look at Eist. “But we are going to have to work on your political savvy before you start a brawl at the next meeting.”

\--

The rest of their day did unfortunately not go without hiccups. After the meeting with the advisors ended, Eist and Calanthe spent the rest of their day touring the palace and grounds. On more than one occasion, Calanthe would suddenly grip Eist’s arm as she leaned on him. And every time it happened, Eist felt himself tense, wanting nothing more than to pick Calanthe up and carry her upstairs to their bedchamber to rest. Instead all he could do was guide her to sit when a chair or bench was nearby.

After their gruelingly long day finally ended, they ate privately in their chambers, bathed together, and then returned to their bedchamber to sleep. Eist made himself busy with the fire and began to prepare the kettle to make Calanthe’s tea. He smiled as he silently heard Calanthe pull back the covers and climb into bed. He waited and turned just as he picked up the jug of water to pour it into the kettle to see Calanthe lying on her stomach, already fast asleep.

Eist smirked as he set the jug down, there was no need to bother with making Calanthe her tea now. He removed his robe quickly and tossed it on a chair before climbing into bed. Calanthe sighed softly for a moment as Eist laid down, keeping most of his weight to his side while he laid his leg over hers and rested his arm on her back. Eist kissed the corner of Calanthe’s mouth that was facing up towards him before resting his cheek against hers and quickly falling asleep.

\--

“Your Majesties?”

Calanthe’s skin was soft against Eist’s rough hands. He was reluctantly pulled out of his sleep with a knock and Yuri attempting to wake them, but he could not be too angry about it when he woke with Calanthe in his arms. Eist took a soft breath as he felt Calanthe press her cheek against his, prompting him to glide his hand over her back and press her closer against him.

“Your Majesties?”

Eist heard the knock but chose to ignore it. He was far too comfortable to let go of his wife and get out of bed.

Another knocked sounded at their door.

Eist groaned as he opened his eyes. The knocking wasn’t going to stop. Calanthe’s eyes were still closed and were heavy from exhaustion. He stumbled out of bed then and shivered as a cold breeze went through their bedchamber while he pulled on his robe. Calanthe must have awoken earlier and opened their window covers.

He opened to the door before Yuri could knock again, startling her and causing her to jump slightly.

“Yuri, can you ask Pavetta and Duny to attend to court today?” Eist asked as he stifled a yawn.

“Of course, your Majesty. Her Majesty was also set to eat her mid-day meal with the princess. Should I tell the princess that that is canceled?”

“Yes, Pavetta can come by later.”

“Princess Pavetta will ask if something is wrong, your Majesty. What would you have me tell her?”

“Tell her the Queen is exhausted and needs to rest. When the courier from Skellige arrives, have the reports put in the sitting room, will you?”

Yuri quickly left as Eist turned and took off his robe. He returned to Calanthe and laid down beside her. He could feel her eyelashes against him as her eyes fluttered from a moment while Eist pressed kisses to her over and over. Moments later, Calanthe was asleep again and Eist followed soon after.

\--

The next time Eist woke, their bedchamber was flooded with light beaming in from the open windows. He pressed a soft kiss to Calanthe’s lips as she slept before rolling onto his back and stretching. Eist glanced over at Calanthe, who sighed softly as she moved in her sleep to roll on her back. Their room had cooled with the window covers open, so after Eist climbed out of bed, he walked around to where Calanthe laid and pulled the covers up over her but not before pressing a kiss to her stomach first. Calanthe had not gotten sick that morning, and just maybe she was getting to be far enough along that the sickness and nausea that had plagued her for so long was starting to ease.

Eist went to the window and stretched again, taking in the city as he did. They had slept in so late that it was midday now. Spring was on its way and the city was abuzz as people went about their business on the streets below. He heard the covers move then and turned to see Calanthe roll on her side, facing the window where he stood. Eist smiled as the covers slipped down a little to fall just below her breasts. For a moment he thought she was awake, but as he walked to her, he realized that she was still fast asleep. Eist gently ran his finger over her cheek before brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear that had fallen in her face. He bent over then and pressed a kiss to her temple before he began searching for his linen pants.

After Eist finally found his pants, he made his way to the sitting room and found the pile of correspondence brought over daily by the Skelligan courier. Eist clicked his tongue as he began to thumb through the reports while he made his way back to the bedchamber. Eist carefully climbed back into bed as he repositioned the pillows behind his back. He sat upright and bent his knees while pressing his feet on the bed, set the reports upright against his thighs, and began to read.

All seemed quiet on Skellige. A storm had damaged a port on Hindarsfjall, and preparations were being made to repair it. Kovir and Poviss was proving to be a regrettable trading partner but sending a delegate to the region should quickly resolve the issue. The only issue that seemed worth thinking twice about was a potential grain shortage. It seems that Skellige had moved faster than anticipated through the grain they had set aside for the winter and were in danger of running out before more could be farmed.

Calanthe stirred beside Eist, causing him to glance over and smile. She reached her arms above her head, arching her back to stretch as she yawned. When she was finished, he saw her body tense slightly as she reached her arm behind her. She was searching for him.

“I’m here.” Eist said quietly just before Calanthe’s hand grazed against his side.

Out of the corner of his eye, Eist could see Calanthe roll to face him. He could barely make out the covers slip down her even lower and were now just covering her hips. He used all of his will power to keep his eyes focused on the reports in front of him for he knew if he looked at her, he would not be able to look away. Eist shifted the reports from his right hand to his left so he could hold his hand out to her. She took it and laced their fingers together and Eist smiled as he felt Calanthe move his hand and press her lips to the back of it.

“I’m almost done.” Eist said as Calanthe continued to press kisses to each of his knuckles.

Eist made quick work of the report he was reading. He flicked his eyes over the writing quickly, barely taking it in. It was just an update about a mining project going on in Ard Skellig, and all seemed to be going well.

When he was finished Eist glanced at Calanthe and whispered “Good afternoon” as he took both piles of correspondence and set them aside.

“Good afternoon to you too.” Calanthe said lazily, her voice still groggy from sleep. Her eyes went wide then. “Wait, what time is it?” Calanthe asked as she pulled her hand from Eist’s and sat up quickly.

“Do not worry, my love.” Eist said as he rolled on his stomach beside her, pressing a kiss to her lips before crawling down and pressing one gently on her stomach. “Pavetta and Duny oversaw court today. And Pavetta will come by later so you can speak with her.”

Eist heard Calanthe sigh as he gently pressed his cheek against her stomach. Every day now he studied Calanthe’s stomach, not wanting to miss a second of their child growing inside of her. He felt her hands in his hair then as she softly ran her hands through the waves of curls jutting out.

“Thank you.” Calanthe said as she softly grazed his scalp with her fingernails, causing a moan to escape his lips.

“For what?” Eist asked as he raised himself to lay on top of her before capturing her lips with his.

“For taking care of everything.” Calanthe whispered.

Her hands had not left his hair but were now tracing down his neck and back, causing a shiver of delight to run up his spine.

“Of course.” Eist whispered back between kisses.

Eist smiled softly as he felt Calanthe’s hands trace lower and settle against his hips. Her fingers were pulling at the band around his pants then as she attempted to tug them down. Eist groaned as he lifted his hips off of her and reached down to finish pulling his pants off the rest of the way. He barely had time to kick them off when Calanthe wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him on top of her.

\--

“I hope we weren’t too loud.” Calanthe whispered.

She was curled on top of Eist, breathing heavy as she caught her breath. Eist smirked as he ran his fingertips up and down Calanthe’s back, using his middle finger to lightly trace along her spine.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because the window covers are wide open.” Calanthe said as she laughed lightly.

Eist glanced up then at the open window covers. He had so easily forgotten about them, despite the large amount of sun that they were letting in by being open. Then again, it was easy to forget about a lot of things when he was with Calanthe. She was able to distract him and make him forget about the world in ways that no one else was ever able to.

“Whoops.” Eist said before laughing himself. In truth he could care less who heard them. There was not a single soul on the Continent that could make him be embarrassed about the things he did with his wife, and he knew in the end, Calanthe felt the same way. “Oh well.” Eist said before he laughed again and pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s forehead.

“So, anything urgent going on?” Calanthe asked as she motioned first towards the few pieces of parchment that had managed to stay on the bed before reaching up to run her hand through Eist’s hair.

“Just a potential grain shortage on Skellige, but it’s nothing that can’t be handled.”

“We have more than enough grain in storage here. We’ll send whatever they need to Skellige as soon as possible.”

Eist smiled before nuzzling against Calanthe. Her hair still smelled like juniper berries from their bath the night before. The bell tolled outside then, signaling another hour had begun. Soon after a knock sounded at their door.

“We’re awake.” Eist called out, lifting his head just enough to speak before nuzzling into Calanthe’s hair again.

“The Princess Pavetta is here to see her Majesty.”

“I’ll be right out.” Calanthe said as she lifted herself upward and pressed a kiss to Eist’s lips. “I’m starving.” Calanthe said as she reached for her robe.

Eist watched as she pulled her robe on and tied it around her waist before sitting at her bedchamber vanity. Calanthe picked up her brush as she sat and looked at Eist through the looking glass as she began to run the brush through her long hair.

“You didn’t get sick this morning.” Eist said as he smiled at her.

“No, I guess I didn’t.” Calanthe said as she smiled back while beginning to braid her hair. “Did you eat already?”

Eist heard her stomach growl then. “No,” he chuckled “But apparently we need to get you some food. Yuri!” Eist called.

He barely had time to pull the covers over his waist as a knocked sounded at their door before Yuri entered.

“Can you have some food brought up? If Pavetta has not eaten have something sent up for her as well.”

“Of course, your Majesty. Anything in particular?”

Eist motioned for Calanthe to let her respond so she could pick what they would eat.

“Anything light will be fine.” Calanthe said as she finished tying her braid and began to twist it into a low bun.

Yuri quickly excused herself and when she shut the door, Eist climbed out of bed and stretched.

“Where did my pants go?” Eist asked out loud.

“They’re most likely mixed in the covers.” Calanthe said through a laugh as she stood and made her way to her dressing room.

Eist pulled his linen pants and robe on while he waited for Calanthe to change. He would have to go to the spare bedchamber at the opposite side of their quarters to dress. Calanthe raised her brow and smirked at him when they met at their bedchamber door.

“This is another good reason as to why my clothes should be in here and not in the spare bedchamber.”

Calanthe chuckled as she pressed a kiss to Eist’s lips before opening their bedchamber door.

Pavetta was sitting by herself on one of their couches, staring into the fire before she turned to look towards Eist and Calanthe. When she saw Eist, she gave him a questionable look.

“My clothes aren’t in our bedchamber.” Eist said as dramatically as he could muster while he motioned towards the spare bedchamber that he was walking towards.

“But they will be in due time.” Calanthe quipped back as he walked away.

Eist smirked as he made his way into the spare bedchamber and shut the door behind him. He had never really given much thought to the room before, outside of wondering why it had existed in the first place. Now every time he entered it; he couldn’t help but smile at the idea of a cradle being placed in the room. Eist rummaged through the chest in the corner and pulled out a fresh pair of linen pants and a linen shirt. He dressed quickly and made his way back to the sitting room to find Calanthe sitting on the couch opposite of Pavetta.

“I’m sorry I did not tell you myself. It was meant to be a surprise for everyone.” Calanthe said pointedly as Eist walked up.

Eist smirked as he sat down close beside Calanthe and put his arm around her to rest against her hip while running his thumb against it.

“To be fair, I guessed it.” Pavetta said as she smiled between the two of them.

“And you haven’t told anyone?” Calanthe asked.

“No, however it has been difficult. The rest of the family really must be told soon. I thought Crach was going to burst into tears today at breakfast.”

Eist chuckled. Crach, the mighty Jarl of Skellige, was so concerned for his surrogate mother.

“Why?” Calanthe asked.

“Because you have not eaten with us in some time. He has convinced himself that you are gravely ill. Besides, Ciri misses the two of you as well.”

“Well, I think my nausea is slowly beginning to subside which will help. At least that way we can join everyone for breakfast again. So, do you think you could arrange for a dinner to be held in two days’ time? We will announce it then.”

“I would love to! Can I plan the banquet when you announce it to the court as well?” Pavetta asked excitedly.

“If you’d like.” Calanthe said as she chuckled.

Eist glanced over just as Calanthe winced and grabbed her stomach. Eist felt his own stomach drop then as he lurched upward and hovered over her.

He thought for a moment about running to get Mousesack just before Calanthe said, “It’s just nausea.”

Eist didn’t wait for Calanthe to say anything else. He went to their bedchamber where the kettle was kept and made her tea as quickly as he could without spilling it. When Eist returned to the sitting room, Pavetta stood from where she sat beside Calanthe to allow Eist to sit beside her again. As he handed Calanthe her tea, he noticed how pale she looked. Eist gave her a moment to take a sip of tea before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her tight against him as be pressed a kiss to her temple, directly on top of the faint scar that was left behind from the shipwreck.

Their midday meal arrived soon after, and Eist was pleased to see the color return to Calanthe as she drank her tea and ate.

\--

Later in the afternoon, Calanthe eventually convinced Eist to take a walk in the gardens. He would rather they not go, not after the wave of nausea and dizzy spell from earlier. Eist eventually relented though after Calanthe convinced him that some fresh air would do her good.

They walked arm in arm as they made their way through the gardens. A light air was blowing softly, and the sun was still bright in the sky, warming Eist’s face as they walked. The Cintran roses were beginning to bloom, the petals so white they almost glowed under the sun. When they reached the back of the gardens, Eist found a particularly large patch of roses and cut them at the root. Calanthe raised her brow but smiled when he handed the roses to her so they could be taken back to their chambers.

\--

Eist was pacing the bed chamber, waiting for Calanthe to finish dressing for their evening meal. Tonight was the night that Eist would announce to their family that Calanthe was expecting their first child, and the thought of doing so was making him increasingly nervous. It was ironic, Calanthe was at first reluctant to share their news with their families out of fear that doing so would somehow curse them. Now their roles were reversed, and Eist was the one who was concerned.

The water in the kettle began to boil then and Eist was glad to have something to distract himself from his thoughts. He prepared her tea slowly before making his way to Calanthe’s dressing room. He pushed open the door that was left ajar and crossed the room to where Calanthe sat at her second vanity. Maren was twisting Calanthe’s braids in a circular pattern around her head and pinning them into place. Meanwhile Yuri was carefully patting brown eyeshadow onto Calanthe’s eyes. When Eist approached, Yuri stepped back, giving Eist space to set down Calanthe’s peppermint tea before pressing a kiss to her temple.

\--

Eist was having a hard time concentrating as he and Calanthe made their way arm in arm towards the private banquet hall. When Calanthe came out of her dressing room, she was wearing an emerald green velvet dress that was cut particularly low in the front and wrapped around, tying at the side. The fabric hugged her body just right, revealing how the curves that Calanthe already had were becoming more prevalent. He waited until they reached a part of the corridor where there were no guards in sight and took his chance. Eist turned abruptly, placing his hand against the back of Calanthe’s head just before he pressed her gently against the wall.

“You are so beautiful.” Eist mumbled as he pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck at the spot he knew she favored.

He thought about taking her back up to their bedchamber. Their evening meal could wait.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” Calanthe breathed out as Eist flicked his tongue over the spot he had just sucked on.

Eist heard Calanthe chuckle, prompting him to suck just a little harder.

“Darling,” Calanthe said quietly as she swatted him on the shoulder, “We have company.”

Eist groaned before lifting his head and turned to see none other than Mousesack. The druid certainly had perfected his ability of putting himself in less than comfortable situations.

“We have to stop meeting like this.” Mousesack mumbled as he kept his face low, which had turned a bright shade of red, while he quickly walked past them towards the banquet hall.

“We were here first.” Eist joked as he regretfully pulled away from Calanthe and took her arm again.

Calanthe and Eist were the last to arrive in the banquet hall. Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny were sitting on the left side of the table, with Pavetta seated closest to the empty chair that Calanthe would sit in. On the other side of the table sat Crach closest to Eist’s empty seat with Mousesack and Bran seated beside him.

“Grandmama! Grandpapa!” Ciri squealed from her seat.

The entire group stood at once, besides Ciri who stayed bouncing in her seat.

“Sit, sit.” Eist said, motioning them to sit back down as they walked by.

Calanthe stopped on the way to their seats at the far end of the table to kiss Ciri on the top of her head. When she finished, Eist reached down and ruffled her hair, sending a mass of blonde curls swirling around her head and prompting Ciri to giggle.

They ate their meal first, and while Eist was growing more and more nervous at the impending announcement, he was also rather happy. Eist had placed his hand on Calanthe’s thigh as he always did and smiled when she rested hers on top when she was finished eating. When Eist finished himself, he shifted his weight and leaned to his side slightly, pressing his shoulder lightly against Calanthe’s.

Eist waited and cleared his throat after everyone finished and their plates were empty.

“Hang on.” Pavetta said as she stood abruptly.

Eist looked up at Pavetta, confused as to what was going on.

“Let me get Ciri to bed.” Pavetta said as she reached for Ciri. “Come on, little one.”

“But I’m not tired.” Ciri grumbled as she got up from her seat. “I want Grandmama to put me to bed.” Ciri said when she walked from around her chair to face Pavetta, crossing her arms over her chest as she did.

“I won’t be long.” Calanthe whispered to Eist before standing and walking towards Ciri as she held out her hand. “Come on little cub.”

Ciri grinned widely as she trotted towards Calanthe. Eist sighed. The announcement would wait, at least for a little while.

“I wonder what that was about?” Duny asked as he poured himself a mule of beer. “Pavetta is not normally strict about her bedtime.”

\--

It did not take long for things to spiral while Eist waited for Calanthe and Pavetta to return. After sternly telling Crach that he would have to wait for Calanthe and Pavetta to come back before he would tell him the announcement, somehow Crach and Duny got into a heated discussion as to who could drink a full mule of beer the fastest.

“I promise, I can drink faster than you.” Crach said as he emptied a jug of beer while filling his mule to the rim.

Duny waved him off. “You might be surprised.” Duny said as he filled his own mule again.

Eist sighed. He didn’t have the mental dexterity to stop either one of them right now. He glanced up then to see Mousesack looking amused as he glanced back and forth between Crach and Duny. Bran meanwhile was laughing, finding the prospect of a drinking contest to be hysterical. Duny stood then, taking the empty seat across from Crach.

“Alright lads let’s see what your made of. Now I warn you Crach, you will put your clan to shame if you let another man outdrink you. On the count of three. One, two, three!”

Eist smirked as Crach and Duny began drinking at the same time. It only took a second to see that Crach would be the clear winner. Eist glanced up then to see Calanthe and Pavetta walking through the doorway. They both looked perplexed, but while Calanthe looked at least slightly amused, Pavetta looked exasperated. When Eist’s eyes met Calanthe’s, he shrugged. Calanthe quickly made her way to him and Eist turned to smile at her when she sat down, pleased to see that she was back.

“You had to leave me with these hooligan’s, didn’t you?” Eist joked as he took her hand under the table.

Calanthe squeezed his hand gently as she smirked back at him.

“Having a drinking contest, are we?” Pavetta asked.

Duny had not noticed her until then, and partially choked on the rest of his beer when he saw her.

“We can’t leave them alone for a minute, can we Mother?” Pavetta asked as she sat beside Duny and kissed him on the cheek while he smiled sheepishly.

“No, I don’t believe we can.” Calanthe joked back as she lightly squeezed Eist’s hand again and began to caress the back of it with her thumb.

“And on that note,” Eist said as he cleared his throat again. “The Queen and I have an announcement to make.”

The room went silent as Crach set his empty mule down while everyone turned to face them. Eist squeezed Calanthe’s hand. He was so nervous that his palm was beginning to sweat. She quickly took her other hand under the table and rested it over the one that held hers. He felt her run her fingertips over his knuckles and for a moment it helped to ease the tension in him.

“The Queen and I are happy to announce that we are expecting our first child.”

Eist smiled as he spoke the words. He couldn’t stop it, even if he tried. And just like that, the tension that he felt was gone.

\--

Calanthe practically ripped Eist’s clothes off of him when they came back to their bedchamber. Eist was not sure what prompted her sudden need for him, but he was not about to protest it. He guided Calanthe on her back after slipping her dress over her head and tossing it to the side. Eist spread her legs as he laid on top of her and smiled as he flicked his fingers over her, feeling how wet she already was.

“A little excited, are we?” Eist teased as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s ear.

Calanthe groaned just before she grabbed him in her hand. Eist gasped as he thrusted his hips forward, causing Calanthe to chuckle in return.

“Just as much as you, apparently.” Calanthe practically purred as she said the words, and it only made Eist want her more.

Eist took himself in his hand as he lined himself up and began to make slow, steady thrusts. After a few moments, Eist entered her fully, enjoying the low moan that came from her as he did. He kept his thrusts slow, much slower than either one of them typically preferred. He was terrified of doing much else. The thought of hurting their child had suddenly crossed his mind and it was enough to make him second guess moving any faster or harder than he was.

“Harder.” Calanthe panted in between kisses as Eist moved on top of her.

Eist groaned into her mouth, thrusting just slightly harder into her than before. What if this is what caused the last miscarriage? Eist tried to push the thought away.

“Don’t make me beg.” Calanthe whispered as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist.

“We should be careful.” Eist whispered back as he began to trail kisses down her jaw and ending at the curve of her neck.

“You won’t hurt me or our child, I promise.” Calanthe whispered.

Eist was not convinced. He stopped kissing her for a moment, and when his eyes met hers, he knew what she was craving. Calanthe was breathless as she stared back at him. Her eyes looked as though they were burning.

He took too long to react, took too long to give her what she asked for. Calanthe flipped him onto his back, causing his eyes to go wide as she climbed on top of him.

“It seems I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.” Calanthe said as she thrusted herself fully onto him.

Eist grunted as he sat upward. Calanthe moaned in return when he roughly grabbed her thighs. He was pushed backwards to lay flat on the bed as Calanthe pressed both of her palms to his chest.

“Fuck.” Eist growled as he gripped both of her thighs tighter. Calanthe wasted no time picking up speed and she was quickly driving him over the edge. Eist released her right thigh from his grip to flick his fingers over her clit and smiled breathlessly at the soft scream it caused.

Calanthe’s eyes began to roll in the back of her head as her thrusts became rapid and erratic. The screams that fell from her lips only made Eist curse louder as she collapsed against his chest when her orgasm rushed through her. Eist was pressed into her fully as she laid against him, nearly causing him to burst. Her body was still quivering when he moved his hands to her hips and rolled on top of her. He gave in then; he was never able to resist her. He sat himself upward and guided her legs to wrap over his shoulders and around the back of his neck.

Before Eist entered her again, he flicked his fingers over her, causing her hips to spasm. Eist smirked as Calanthe used her arms to brace herself as he moved his fingers over her, faster than before. Soon she was thrusting her hips up against his fingers and crying out softly. Her body flushed as her orgasm washed over her and for a moment Eist saw her eyes roll in the back of her head again as she lost control. He waited for the waves of her orgasm to ease before quickly lining himself up and entering her fully in one thrust. The scream that ripped through Calanthe was loud, and Eist was not entirely sure if it was due to pleasure or pain. Eist tried to pull out of her, but she only tightened her legs around his shoulders.

“It felt good, you bloody fool.”

Eist smirked as the tension drained from him as he thrusted into her again. Soon, Eist was pulling away from her as his own body began to shake. He didn’t want this to be over just yet. Calanthe pulled her legs from his shoulders and moaned as Eist caught her calf in his hand as he guided it to his lips to press a kiss to it. Calanthe pulled away and silently rolled herself over to get on her hands and knees as she arched her buttocks high in the air. Eist moaned as he gripped her buttocks with both hands and squeezed gently. He pressed the tip of himself against her entrance then, gently sliding back and forth between her folds. Calanthe cried out softly when Eist gripped her hips and pulled her back closer to him while he lifted her higher in the air. Eist thrusted roughly into her, pushing her upward on the bed slightly.

The scream that fell from Calanthe was sure to be heard elsewhere in the castle, and in that moment Eist knew she was getting exactly what she wanted. Eist’s fingers were gliding over her clit again and soon he felt her quivering beneath him. He gripped her hips again and lifted her just a little higher, and soon he was thrusting against the spot inside of her that he loved to hit. When she squirted, Eist pulled out of her, holding her up as she soaked their bed. The soft screams that fell from her lips made him want to finish, but just as he was about too, he Calanthe seemed to go limp for a moment.

“Calanthe, my love, are you alright?” He was breathless and unsure if he should continue.

Calanthe took a moment to steady her breath before whispering, “Fuck me.”

Any semblance of control was gone with her words, and it didn’t take Eist long to finish. Eist thrusted into her rapidly, eventually collapsing against her back as he finished inside of her.

“I love you.” Eist breathed out as he laid pressed against Calanthe’s back.

‘’I love you too.” Calanthe breathed out the words as Eist rolled off of her.

His arms were around her, pulling her to rest on top of his chest. Calanthe leaned her head back so Eist could press his lips to hers just as she fell asleep. Eist smiled, his eyes barely able to stay open as he reached his hand up to run his fingertip along her jaw, tracing it from her ear to her chin and upward to caress her bottom lip before falling asleep.

\--

The following morning, Eist was the first to wake. He was groggy, his vision still cloudy with sleep when he opened his eyes. Calanthe was still asleep against his chest, her breath softly rolling off his skin. Eist closed his eyes again for a moment, relishing the feeling of laying with Calanthe like this. Eist could lay with Calanthe’s warm weight nestled against his chest for eternity and it would not be enough.

He took his fingertips and began to trace them up and down Calanthe’s back, focusing on tracing her spine. Eist was not sure how much time had passed, but it was enough for the sky to begin to turn orange as the sun rose. Calanthe took a soft breath then, and Eist knew she was awake. He kept trailing her back up and down with just the tips of his fingers as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, prompting her to let out a soft sigh.

“Good morning.” Eist whispered as he pressed as second kiss to her.

Calanthe lifted herself slightly and turned her head to see Eist grinning down at her.

“Good morning to you too.” Calanthe said back softly as she leaned up to kiss him.

“Did you sleep well?” Eist asked as he lifted his other hand to stroke her cheek.

Calanthe chuckled as she leaned up to press another kiss to Eist’s lips. “How could I not? I all but passed out when we were finished.”

Eist chuckled as Calanthe curled herself tighter against him. He grew heavy quickly and had to fight to keep his eyes open so he could lean down and press kisses to her forehead. After a few moments, he nestled back into the covers. Eist focused on the sound of Calanthe breathing as she drifted off to sleep and was soon asleep too.

\--

“Do you remember when we went hunting for pearls on Skellige?” Eist asked as he bent down on his knees in front of Ciri with his hand behind his back that held the box with the pearl necklace.

“Yes!” Ciri said as she bounced on her toes.

Eist smiled when he pulled his hand around and opened the box, revealing the necklace to Ciri.

“My very own pearl?” Ciri asked as she beamed.

“Your very own pearl.” Eist said as he pulled the necklace from the box. “Fit for a princess. Would you like to wear it now, little pup?”

Ciri bounced up and down as she nodded excitedly. Eist smiled as turned while he draped the necklace around the front of her and fumbled with the small clasp until it was latched. When Eist finished, Ciri turned to face him and threw her arms around his neck.

“Happy Birthday, little pup.” Eist whispered as he picked Ciri up and hugged her back.


	26. Chapter 13B - Calanthe

**Chapter 13B – Calanthe**

**Year 1256**

The air still had a slight chill when Calanthe woke in the morning. She had woken earlier, before the sun rose, due to the extreme heat in the room. Eist, now out of habit, still prepared their fire like he did in Skellige, despite the fact that the Cintran climate was warmer than on the Isles.

Their previous day had been long, causing both of them to be exhausted at the end of it. After Calanthe and Eist held court in Cintra for the first time in over two months, they then spent over two hours with their advisors and then the rest of their day touring the palace and grounds. While the meeting with their advisors ended abruptly, Calanthe was pleased with what she found as they made their way around the palace grounds. The entire palace had been scrubbed clean with the many servants taking advantage of court not being held in session for so long, the farmers had been hard at work preparing for spring to come, the palace greenhouses had been well maintained and were full of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Overall, everything had continued as it should.

That night after they retired to their chambers and ate, Calanthe all but collapsed into bed. She had woken that morning without nausea but did experience pangs of it throughout the day that she constantly had to push aside. A few times she leaned on Eist when a dizzy spell would hit, causing him to tense. She noticed his eyes flick to her constantly, and on more than one occasion he silently guided her to take advantage of sitting when a bench or chair was nearby.

Calanthe fell asleep that night before Eist even joined her in bed. They had just gotten out of their bath while Eist went to build the fire and make Calanthe a mule of peppermint tea. Calanthe pulled back the covers to their bed, crawled in, and laid on her stomach just before falling asleep.

When the heat from the fire woke her in the morning, Eist was partially lying on top of her with his cheek resting on hers and his left arm and leg draped over her back and legs. Calanthe smiled as she slowly climbed out from underneath him and ran her hand over her stomach. Soon she would not be able to lay on her stomach for a while. She wanted to stay there, the weight from him resting on her felt comforting. However, the heat radiating from Eist and the fire was enough to make her sweat. When Calanthe finally climbed out of bed, she heard the bell toll. After she opened the two window covers in the room to let cool air in, she looked out and noticed that the sun was just beginning to barely light up the sky. Calanthe smiled as she turned and crawled back into bed, not bothering with the fire. The cool air would be enough to ease the heat.

Eist stirred when Calanthe pressed herself against him as she made herself comfortable again. He woke, but just barely as he shifted himself to lay on his side while she laid on hers. The corners of Calanthe’s mouth lifted as Eist pressed his forehead against hers. Eist wrapped both arms around her before falling back into a deep sleep. Calanthe’s eyes quickly became heavy as the heat in the room melted away and soon, she was asleep again too.

\--

“Your Majesties?”

Calanthe heard the words but was convinced she was dreaming. She pressed her cheek against Eist’s as she felt him move and wrap his arm tighter around her as he pulled her closer to him.

“Your Majesties?”

A knock sounded at their door that time. Calanthe ignored it though. She was so tired and the thought of getting out of bed made her want to scream. Maybe she was dreaming, after all Eist was not responding either.

Another knock sounded.

Eist groaned as he stumbled out of bed, leaving Calanthe suddenly feeling cold as the covers from their bed were pulled back while a cool breeze blew through the room. Calanthe was so tired that she barely heard their door open and while she could hear Eist talking, she could not make out what he was saying. Soon Eist was lying beside her again, pressing kisses to her as she fluttered her eyes just before falling back asleep.

\--

The next time Calanthe woke the sun was bright as it streamed into the bedchamber from the open windows. She let out a yawn as she stretched, reaching her arms high above her head while she arched her back slightly. It was only after Calanthe was finished stretching that she realized that she could not feel Eist against her, causing her to reach behind her in search for him.

“I’m here.” Eist said quietly just before her hand grazed against his side.

Calanthe smiled as she rolled over, not bothering to pull the covers up as they slipped down her to barely cover her hips. Eist was lying on top of the covers, shirtless but with his linen pants on, sitting high up against the pillows with his knees bent as he kept his feet flat on the bed. A pile of parchment sat propped up against his thighs as he flipped through them. Eist kept his eyes on what he was reading but shifted his hands, so his left now held the parchment up, leaving his right empty as he held it out to her. Calanthe took his hand, lacing her fingers with his and then brought them to her lips. She turned their entwined hands to kiss the back of his gently. She glanced up at Eist and noticed him smile.

“I’m almost done.” Eist said as Calanthe continued to press kisses to each of his knuckles.

Eist flicked his eyes over the parchment for a moment longer before letting it drop against his stomach.

“Good afternoon.” Eist whispered as he glanced at Calanthe before taking the piles of parchment and setting them aside.

“Good afternoon to you too.” Calanthe said lazily, just before her eyes went wide with realization as to what she had just said. “Wait, what time is it?” Calanthe said as she quickly pulled her hand from Eist’s and sat up.

She had not meant to sleep so late. If it was already the afternoon then she had slept right through court, and she was supposed to eat her mid-day meal with Pavetta today to ask her to arrange the dinner announcing the pregnancy to their family.

“Do not worry, my love.” Eist said as he rolled on his stomach beside her, pressing a kiss to her lips before crawling down and pressing one gently on her stomach, just as he did the night before. “Pavetta and Duny oversaw court today. And Pavetta will come by later so you can speak with her.”

Calanthe sighed as Eist pressed his cheek against her stomach. She ran her hands through his hair then as he gently laid himself against her.

“Thank you.” Calanthe said as she scraped her nails softly against Eist’s scalp, eliciting a moan from him.

“For what?” Eist asked as he crawled up the bed to rest himself on top of her before capturing Calanthe’s lips with his.

“For taking care of everything.” Calanthe whispered between kisses as she ran her hands from Eist’s hair to trace them down his back.

“Of course.” Eist whispered back between his own kisses.

Calanthe moved her hands lower to find the band from Eist’s pants and began to tug. Eist lifted his hips with a groan and shifted one of his hands down to push his pants down the rest of the way. He barely kicked them off from around his ankles before Calanthe wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him on top of her.

\--

“I hope we weren’t too loud.” Calanthe whispered against Eist’s chest while she curled herself on top of him.

“Why do you say that?” Eist asked as he began to run his fingers up and down Calanthe’s back.

“Because the window covers are wide open.” Calanthe said as she laughed lightly into Eist’s chest.

“Whoops.” Eist said before laughing himself. “Oh well.” Eist said before laughing again and pressing a kiss to Calanthe’s forehead.

“So, anything urgent going on?” Calanthe asked as she motioned first towards the few pieces of parchment that had managed to stay on the bed before reaching up to run her hand through Eist’s hair.

“Just a potential grain shortage on Skellige, but it’s nothing that can’t be handled.”

“We have more than enough grain in storage here. We’ll send whatever they need to Skellige as soon as possible.”

Eist did not respond to her, but instead nuzzled against the top of her head for a few moments. The bell tolled then, and a few minutes later a knock sounded at their door.

“We’re awake.” Eist called out before continuing to nuzzle against the top of Calanthe’s head.

“The Princess Pavetta is here to see her Majesty.”

“I’ll be right out.” Calanthe said as she lifted herself up to kiss Eist before rising from bed. “I’m starving.” Calanthe said as she reached for her robe and tied it around her waist before sitting at her vanity.

She looked through the looking glass as she picked up her brush and noticed that Eist was smiling.

“You didn’t get sick this morning.”

“No, I guess I didn’t.” Calanthe said as she smiled back while quickly braiding her hair. She hadn’t thought about it until then, but she had woken that morning again without nausea or becoming sick. “Did you eat already?” Calanthe asked as her stomach growled.

“No,” Eist chuckled “But apparently we need to get you some food. Yuri!” Eist called.

After a few moments, a knock sounded at their door again. Eist pulled the covers up over him just before Yuri entered.

“Can you have some food brought up? If Pavetta has not eaten have something sent up for her as well.”

“Of course, your Majesty. Anything in particular?”

Eist motioned for Calanthe to let her respond so she could pick what they would eat.

“Anything light will be fine.” Calanthe said as she finished tying her braid and began to twist it into a low bun.

Yuri quickly excused herself and when she shut the door, Eist climbed out of bed and stretched.

“Where did my pants go?” Eist asked out loud.

“They’re most likely mixed in the covers.” Calanthe said through a laugh as she stood and made her way to her dressing room.

She threw on a lightweight soft blue dress while Eist pulled his linen pants on and tied his robe around his waist. Calanthe raised her brow and smirked at him when they met at their bedchamber door.

“This is another good reason as to why my clothes should be in here and not in the spare bedchamber.”

Calanthe chuckled as she pressed a kiss to Eist’s lips before opening their bedchamber door. When Calanthe and Eist walked into their sitting room, Pavetta sat by herself on one of the couches, staring into the fire. Pavetta turned towards them as they came out of their bedchamber and gave Eist a questionable look.

“My clothes aren’t in our bedchamber.” Eist said as he dramatically motioned towards the spare bedchamber at the opposite end of the chambers.

“But they will be in due time.” Calanthe quipped back as she sat across from Pavetta.

Pavetta chuckled before asking, “How are you feeling? Yuri said you were exhausted earlier.”

“I was. It comes in waves. But enough about me, how was court?” Calanthe asked.

“Uneventful. Several of the lords that visited today have a flair for the dramatics though. Two of them came all the way to the palace with a quarrel over a cow.”

Calanthe laughed. “Yes, unfortunately that is something you will deal with quite often. Are you staying to eat with us?”

“Yes. Duny has Ciri with him at the training yard and I have no idea how long they will be.”

“The training yard?” Calanthe asked.

Calanthe had tried unsuccessfully to teach Pavetta how to swordfight when she was young. Pavetta was not only disinterested, but downright fearful of holding a blade in her hand. At first Calanthe pushed Pavetta, hoping that she would be able to work past her fear. It wasn’t until Calanthe made a light-handing swing at Pavetta when Calanthe realized that sword fighting was not in the cards for her daughter. Pavetta had good instincts and blocked the blow, but quickly dropped the sword and burst into tears. It took a lot to shake Calanthe, but seeing her daughter so frightened that she began to sob was enough to do so. Calanthe never asked Pavetta to pick up a sword again after that day. As Ciri began to grow into the fiery little girl that she was now, Calanthe had made Pavetta promise her that she would be the one to teach Ciri how to wield a sword if she wanted to learn.

“They are only observing, I promise.” Pavetta said. “But she is growing rather interested. I don’t understand it at all, but the prospect of wielding a sword does not frighten her a bit.”

Calanthe chuckled. In so many ways, Ciri was more like her than her own mother.

“So, I guess congratulations are in order?” Pavetta said as she looked from the fire to Calanthe, smiling as she did so.

Calanthe could not help but smile back. “I’m sorry I did not tell you myself. It was meant to be a surprise for everyone.” Calanthe said pointedly as Eist walked up, having dressed in one of his linen shirts and cotton pants.

Out of the corner of Calanthe’s eye she could see Eist smirk as he sat down close beside her and put his arm around her to rest on her hip.

“To be fair, I guessed it.” Pavetta said as she smiled between the two of them.

“And you haven’t told anyone?” Calanthe asked as she felt Eist sit back on the couch and begin to softly run his thumb over her hip from where his hand rested.

“No, however it has been difficult. The rest of the family really must be told soon. I thought Crach was going to burst into tears today at breakfast.”

Calanthe’s brow furrowed as Eist chuckled beside her. “Why?” Calanthe asked.

“Because you have not eaten with us in some time. He has convinced himself that you are gravely ill. Besides, Ciri misses the two of you as well.”

“Well, I think my nausea is slowly beginning to subside which will help. At least that way we can join everyone for breakfast again. So, do you think you could arrange for a dinner to be held in two days’ time? We will announce it then.”

“I would love to! Can I plan the banquet when you announce it to the court it as well?” Pavetta asked excitedly.

“If you’d like.” Calanthe said as she chuckled.

A pang of nausea hit suddenly, causing her to clutch at her stomach. Eist and Pavetta were on their feet, both of them hovering over her while Calanthe took a deep breath.

“It’s just nausea.” Calanthe said as she looked between the two of them.

Calanthe did not have to ask for her peppermint tea. Eist was already sprinting into their room to fill the kettle and begin brewing it for her.

“What is he doing?” Pavetta asked.

“He had a kettle brought up so he can make me peppermint tea whenever I need it.” Calanthe said as she rested herself back on the couch.

“He makes you tea? That is sweet.” Pavetta said as her gaze followed Eist before turning back to where Calanthe still sat on the couch. “Mother? Are you alright? You look pale.” Pavetta asked as she sat down beside Calanthe.

“I’m fine. It’s just a dizzy spell.” Calanthe said weakly. “I cannot believe I’m saying this, but I think I’ll feel fine after I eat something.”

Calanthe smiled weakly as Pavetta picked up her hand and held it until Eist returned with a mule of tea. Pavetta stood after Eist returned, allowing him to resume his seat beside her. Calanthe took the tea and sipped at it as fast as she could without burning her tongue. Eist must have also noticed how pale she went, because even though he did not say anything, he had wrapped his arms around her and was pulling her tight against him, making it much harder to drink her tea.

Their food arrived soon after, and Calanthe began to feel better once she ate.

“Well, I had better get going.” Pavetta said after the second afternoon bell sounded. “I have a dinner to plan.” She said excitedly as she left their room.

\--

Later that afternoon, Calanthe convinced Eist that they should take a walk through the gardens. It had been some time since Calanthe was able to walk for an extended period of time, and she badly wanted the fresh air.

As they began to walk through the gardens, Calanthe reached her right hand over to her left to gently rub her finger over the ring that Eist had given her. The white Cintran roses were beginning to bloom, and they look beautiful against the green landscape that they decorated. The Cintran roses had been grown carefully for decades and had eventually been made to grow without thorns. When they reached a particularly large patch of roses in the far corner of the garden, Eist reached down with his dagger and cut several of them at the stem to take back to their sitting room.

\--

Calanthe frowned as she looked closely into the looking glass. Maren was making quick work of braiding her hair into multiple sections while Yuri applied Calanthe’s eye makeup.

“What’s wrong, your Majesty?” Yuri asked when she noticed Calanthe’s frown.

“This scar.” Calanthe said as she ran her finger over the faint scar near her right temple.

It was a constant reminder of the shipwreck, and in a way a constant reminder of what would eventually lead to Eist being stabbed while trying to protect her. This was not the first time that it bothered her. She often found herself running her finger over it, frustrated with how it looked and what it reminded her of.

“It is barely noticeable.” Yuri assured her as she motioned for Calanthe to close her eyes again.

Calanthe sighed as she closed her eyes. The door opened to her dressing room, followed quickly by the smell of peppermint. Calanthe smirked with her eyes closed as she heard Eist silently sit the mule on the vanity in front of her before bending over and pressing a kiss to her temple.

\--

Calanthe and Eist made their way arm in arm to the private banquet hall. As they walked, Calanthe reached up, slightly adjusting one of the many pins put into her hair. Maren had wrapped the many braids she had made in a circular pattern so they swirled around and were pinned in place. For a moment they walked down a portion of a corridor where there were no guards in sight. Calanthe felt Eist’s hand around the back of her head then while his other snaked around her waist as he guided her with his body to press against the wall.

“You are so beautiful.” Eist mumbled as he pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck, just at the very spot she favored.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” Calanthe breathed out through a gasp as Eist flicked his tongue over her.

Just as Calanthe’s eyes began to flutter close, she saw Mousesack round the corner and stumble when he saw them. Calanthe chuckled as Mousesack quietly attempted to back away, hoping he was not noticed. Eist in turn began to lightly suck on Calanthe’s neck, and only stopped when Calanthe swatted him on the shoulder.

“Darling,” Calanthe said quietly, “We have company.”

Eist groaned before lifting his head and turning to see Mousesack, who had turned a bright shade of red.

“We have to stop meeting like this.” Mousesack mumbled as he kept his head low and walked quickly around them towards the banquet hall.

“We were here first.” Eist joked as he pulled away from Calanthe and took her arm again.

Calanthe and Eist were the last to arrive in the banquet hall. Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny were sitting on the left side of the table, with Pavetta seated closest to the empty chair that Calanthe would sit in. On the other side of the table sat Crach closest to Eist’s empty seat with Mousesack and Bran seated beside him.

Calanthe decided Eist would be the one to announce it to everyone, even though he insisted on Calanthe doing it herself. They were both overjoyed with their pregnancy, but it was Eist who could not stop smiling over it.

“Grandmama! Grandpapa!” Ciri squealed from her seat.

The entire group stood at once, besides Ciri who stayed bouncing in her seat.

“Sit, sit.” Eist said, motioning them to sit back down as they walked by.

Calanthe stopped on their way to their seats to kiss Ciri on the head, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Eist ruffle her hair as he passed her. Their food was quickly brought out after, and Calanthe was pleased to see that Pavetta had requested only mild food be made. They ate their meal first, and Calanthe found herself quite happy. Calanthe smiled when Eist put his hand on its familiar place on her thigh and when she finished eating, Calanthe rested her hand on top of his while he laughed and joked beside her. She sat straight, as she always did, but smiled and glanced over at Eist when she felt him lean to his side so his shoulder pressed lightly against hers.

Eist waited and cleared his throat after everyone finished and their plates were empty.

“Hang on.” Pavetta said as she stood abruptly.

Calanthe glanced from Pavetta to Eist, who looked confused.

“Let me get Ciri to bed.” Pavetta said as she reached for Ciri. “Come on, little one.”

“But I’m not tired.” Ciri grumbled.

Calanthe was impressed, it only took a stern look from Pavetta to quell Ciri’s impending temper. Ciri stood but made it a point to slam her feet on the floor.

“I want Grandmama to put me to bed.” Ciri said when she walked from around her chair to face Pavetta, crossing her arms over her chest as she did.

Calanthe glanced up at Pavetta as she looked sympathetically back at her before nodding.

“I won’t be long.” Calanthe whispered to Eist before standing and walking towards Ciri as she held out her hand. “Come on little cub.” Ciri grinned widely as she trotted towards Calanthe.

When they reached Pavetta and Duny’s chambers, Ciri began to pout further.

“Ciri, come now be a big girl and get changed for bed.” Calanthe said, eliciting only a huff as a response from Ciri. “It’s getting late, and princesses need their sleep.” Calanthe said as she unlaced the ribbon at the back of Ciri’s neck and handed her her night dress. “I’ll tuck you in after you change.”

Calanthe left Ciri’s room then, quietly shutting the door behind her before Ciri could protest. Pavetta was sitting on the opposite side of the room on one of the window ledges, looking out over the city as a cool gentle breeze blew in.

“I know that was abrupt,” Pavetta said, without turning her gaze from the window as Calanthe walked towards her. “But I thought it might be best that I not have to explain how children are made in front of everyone.”

Calanthe chuckled as she reached Pavetta and sat with her.

“It’s fine.” Calanthe said as she reached out and took Pavetta’s hand in hers. “Do you want me to explain it to her when I tuck her in?”

“No, it’s alright.” Pavetta said back as she turned towards Calanthe. “I’ll tell her tomorrow when she wakes.” Pavetta stood then and began to walk towards the door. “I’ll get her governess to sit with her till I return.”

“Grandmama.” Ciri called softly.

Calanthe turned to see Ciri peeking out from around her bedchamber door, holding the toy boat that Eist made her as she yawned. When Calanthe reached her, she smiled and picked her up as she pressed a kiss to her forehead.

After tucking her in, Calanthe sat on the edge of the bed as she brushed a few strands of hair out of Ciri’s eyes.

“Is that the boat that your Grandfather gave you?” Calanthe asked.

Ciri nodded sleepily in response as she clutched it to her chest. Calanthe smiled softly as she bent down and pressed another kiss to Ciri’s forehead.

“I love you little cub.” Calanthe whispered before pressing another kiss to her.

“I love you too Grandmama.”

And with that, Ciri was fast asleep, still clutching her little toy boat.

\--

When Calanthe and Pavetta returned to the banquet hall, they found the men that they left there acting rather rowdy. Crach was quickly downing a beer while Duny had moved to sit across from him and was drinking one just as quickly himself. Bran was being quite the instigator, while Mousesack looked amusedly between them. When Calanthe’s eyes met Eist’s, he only shrugged. He looked half amused, and half irritated. Calanthe made her way back to Eist, who smiled over at her when she sat down.

“You had to leave me with these hooligan’s, didn’t you?” Eist joked as he took her hand under the table.

Calanthe squeezed his hand gently as she smirked back at him before turning to see Pavetta standing over Duny.

“Having a drinking contest, are we?” Pavetta asked.

Duny had not noticed her until then, and partially choked on the rest of his beer when he saw her.

“We can’t leave them alone for a minute, can we Mother?” Pavetta said as she sat beside Duny and kissed him on the cheek while Duny smiled sheepishly.

“No, I don’t believe we can.” Calanthe joked back as she lightly squeezed Eist’s hand again and began to caress the back of it with her thumb.

“And on that note,” Eist said as he cleared his throat again. “The Queen and I have an announcement to make.”

The room went silent as Crach set his empty mule down while everyone turned to face them. Eist squeezed Calanthe’s hand. He was so nervous that she could feel his palm beginning to sweat. She quickly took her other hand under the table and rested it over the one that held hers. Calanthe began to gently run her fingertips over Eist’s knuckles and saw him relax a little beside her as he took a breath.

“The Queen and I are happy to announce that we are expecting our first child.”

Calanthe kept her eyes on him as he spoke and noticed, despite his nervousness, how the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. Calanthe turned her gaze then to the group around the table. Pavetta was grinning from ear to ear, as was Mousesack – the only two people amongst them who already knew. Crach, Bran, and Duny looked as though they did not know how to respond, at least not at first.

“Brother, that is wonderful news!” Bran exclaimed as he stood from his seat and made his way around the table to Eist and clasped him on the back.

Crach began to grin as well from where he sat. “So that’s why you have been absent for so long, Modron?” Crach asked. “I was worried you were unwell.”

“Oh, trust me Nephew, I was quite unwell. But it was not without good reason at least.” Calanthe said as she watched Crach raise his glass to her.

“Well, congratulations to you both! It really is wonderful news!” Crach toasted as everyone raised their glasses and drank.

“Congratulations, your Majesty.” Duny said as Pavetta smiled at him. “And you, Darling, you don’t seem surprised at all.” Duny said as he pressed a kiss to Pavetta’s cheek.

“She guessed it a week ago. She’s mighty perceptive.” Eist said as he winked at Pavetta.

“Yes, and Eist is incapable of hiding when he is happy.” Pavetta quipped back through another smile.

“And what about you, Mousesack?” Crach asked as he turned towards the druid. “Did you know?”

“Yes, I knew.” Mousesack said as he leaned back in his chair and smiled. “But still, congratulations, your Majesties.”

Calanthe smiled back at Mousesack just as Bran asked, “So, when can we expect the little tyke to be born?”

“We don’t know for sure, but I would say in about six months.” Calanthe said as Eist squeezed her hand again.

“We will announce it to the court in due time, but for now this stays between the family only, understood?”

“Of course.” Bran said while everyone else nodded in agreement.

Calanthe sighed and leaned back in her chair, relaxing for a moment. It felt good to let everyone know, and to see the excitement that they had for Eist and herself.

\--

After Calanthe and Eist arrived back to their chambers from their evening meal in the banquet hall, it took Calanthe mere seconds to get him into bed with her. On their way back to their chambers she had the sudden urge to continue what Eist had started earlier in the corridor.

“Harder.” Calanthe panted in between kisses as Eist moved on top of her.

Eist groaned into her mouth, thrusting just slightly harder into her than before. And it was not enough, not for what Calanthe craved.

“Don’t make me beg.” Calanthe whispered as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist.

“We should be careful.” Eist whispered back as he began to trail kisses down her jaw and ending at the curve of her neck.

“You won’t hurt me or our child, I promise.” Calanthe whispered.

Calanthe felt like she was on fire. She was in the mood for Eist to be rough with her, to take her so hard she would have to brace herself against the bed. And she would not spend another six months without it. Calanthe flipped Eist to his back in one motion and chuckled as his eyes went wide for a moment.

“It seems I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.” Calanthe purred as she climbed on top of Eist before thrusting wildly against him.

Eist grunted as he sat upward and Calanthe moaned in return when he roughly grabbed her thighs. Calanthe put both palms on Eist’s chest and pushed him on his back again before arching her own as she began to ride him harder.

“Fuck.” Eist growled as he gripped both of her thighs tighter before releasing her right thigh from his grip to flick his fingers over her clit.

Calanthe’s eyes began to roll in the back of her head as her thrusts became rapid and erratic. The screams that fell from her lips only made Eist curse louder as she collapsed against his chest when her orgasm rushed through her. Calanthe stayed where she was, with Eist pressed into her fully as her body continued to quiver while she caught her breath. Eist rolled on top of her silently, gripping her hips to do so. Calanthe smiled weakly as Eist gave into her, guiding her legs to wrap over his shoulders and around his neck.

Before Eist entered her again, he flicked his fingers over her, causing her hips to spasm. Calanthe groaned as she braced her arms on either side of herself. She opened her eyes, but only for a moment until she was coming undone again as Eist’s fingers grazed over her clit. Calanthe used all her strength to thrust herself against Eist’s fingers and could feel sweat begin to form on her brow. Just as the waves from the orgasm began to wane, Eist entered her fully in one thrust, causing another scream to rip from her lips. Calanthe opened her eyes then, and Eist looked alarmed as he tried to pull away from her.

“It felt good, you bloody fool.” Calanthe breathed out as she tightened her legs around his shoulders.

Eist smirked as he thrusted into her again, just as hard as the last time. Soon, Eist was pulling away from her as she felt his body begin to shake. Calanthe pulled her legs from his shoulders and moaned as Eist caught her calf in his hand, guiding it to his lips to press a kiss to it. She pulled away and Calanthe silently rolled herself over and got on her hands and knees as she arched her buttocks high in the air. Eist moaned as she felt him grip her buttocks with both hands and squeeze gently. The tip of him was pressed against her entrance then, gently sliding back and forth between her folds. Calanthe cried out when Eist gripped her hips and pulled her back closer to him, lifting her higher in the air as he did so. She moved her hands to grip the headboard as Eist thrusted roughly into her, pushing her upward on the bed slightly.

The scream that fell from Calanthe’s mouth was sure to be heard elsewhere in the castle, and in that moment she could not care less. Eist’s fingers were gliding over her clit again, and soon his thrusts and flicks over her felt so good she was brought to tears. Calanthe gripped the headboard harder to brace herself as each thrust pushed her a little closer to it. Eist gripped her hips again and lifted her just a little higher, and soon he was thrusting against the spot inside of her that he loved to hit. Calanthe began to pant as she felt sweat beading on her back. When she squirted, Eist pulled out of her, holding her up as he did. Without looking, Calanthe knew she had just soaked their bed. Calanthe was screaming softly as the orgasm took hold of her and she felt the shaking in her hips resume again. For a moment, she became dizzy and swore she blacked out.

When she could focus again, she felt Eist’s hands on her hips as he softly called her name.

“Calanthe, my love, are you alright?”

He was breathless, his voice a mixture of lust and concern that only Eist was able to achieve.

“Fuck me.” Calanthe whispered.

She felt Eist lose control as he roughly pounded into her until he finished. Calanthe felt him twitch inside of her just before he came and cried out softly when he collapsed onto her back with his final thrusts into her.

“I love you.” Eist breathed out as he laid pressed against Calanthe’s back.

‘I love you too.” Calanthe breathed out the words as Eist rolled off of her.

His arms were around her, pulling her to rest on top of his chest. She used her last bit of strength to lean her head back and fell asleep just as Eist pressed his lips to hers.

\--

The following morning, Calanthe awoke early to the feeling of Eist gently stroking his fingers up and down her back. For a few moments, Calanthe stayed still as she slowly opened her eyes. The fire was smoldering, giving off just enough heat to prevent the morning chill from taking over the room. Calanthe took a soft breath and felt a tingle go up her spine when Eist’s fingertips trailed down her back again, only to slowly move back up it. She felt Eist press a kiss to her head then and let out a soft sigh.

“Good morning.” Eist whispered as he pressed a second kiss to her.

Calanthe lifted herself slightly and turned her head to see Eist grinning down at her.

“Good morning to you too.” Calanthe said back softly as she leaned up to kiss him.

“Did you sleep well?” Eist asked as he lifted his other hand from where it rested on the curve of her hip to stroke her cheek.

Calanthe chuckled as she leaned up to press another kiss to Eist’s lips. “How could I not? I all but passed out when we were finished.”

Eist chuckled back into her as Calanthe curled herself tighter against him. For a few moments they laid there together in a state of total bliss. Her body felt heavy from the night before, each stroke that Eist continued to make up and down her back still brought delicious tingles to her, and each kiss Eist pressed to her lips and forehead made her heart feel as though it would burst.

Neither one of them moved for a long time, and Calanthe did all she could to fain off sleep. It did not work however, and soon Calanthe drifted off as she listened to Eist’s steady heartbeat beneath her ear.

\--

While Ciri normally was thrilled to see Calanthe, this time at their evening meal she stared at her with a look of confusion, causing her little face to scrunch up as she looked at her Grandmother.

“What’s wrong little cub?” Calanthe asked as Ciri glanced over to her at what felt like the tenth time that evening.

“Where is the baby?” Ciri asked quietly from her seat between Pavetta and Duny.

Eist chuckled first as he patted Calanthe on the thigh. Before Calanthe could respond though, Ciri was out of her chair and walked around the table to where Calanthe sat.

“Where is the baby?” Ciri asked again, this time staring at Calanthe’s stomach. “Mama said the baby is in there, but I don’t see it.” Ciri said as she moved closer to Calanthe.

Calanthe could not help the laughter that came out of her as she scooped Ciri up in her arms and sat her on her lap.

“The baby is in there; you just cannot see it yet because it is still growing.”

“Well when is it done growing?” Ciri asked as she leaned back to look up at Calanthe.

“In about six months, little cub.” Calanthe said as she pressed a kiss to Ciri’s forehead.

\--

Ciri’s seventh birthday was planned much more elaborately than her previous ones.

“It’s her last birthday where she will be the only child to be doted on. I want it to be special.” Pavetta said as she looked over the menu again.

Calanthe had ordered that a custom wooden sword be made for Ciri’s birthday. Training swords were normally plain, bland swords with no decoration or design. Calanthe on the other hand wanted Ciri’s first sword to be fitting of a Princess. The armorer made the sword just a tad bit bigger than it should be, giving Ciri time to grow into it and use it longer. A thin steel strip was imbedded inside the wooden blade to give it just enough weight to help strengthen Ciri’s swing. The blade itself was etched with a white Cintran rose just above the pummel, and a rope pattern wrapped behind it, matching Calanthe’s ring. Instead of the standard textured black leather that was used to wrap the pummel, Cintran blue leather was used instead and the pummel itself was made at a slight curve, making it more comfortable to grip.

“You’re giving her a sword?” Pavetta asked when Calanthe pulled it out of the velvet lined box.

“Of course I’m giving her a sword, what kind of Grandmother would I be if I didn’t?” Calanthe asked as she smiled and turned the wooden blade in her hands. “Besides, you said I could begin training her.”

“And what about you Eist? I know you far too well, and I’m sure you already have something for her.”

Calanthe smiled as Eist disappeared into their bedchamber, only to quickly return with the small box that contained the pearl necklace Eist had made for Ciri months ago.

\--

“Do you remember when we went hunting for pearls on Skellige?” Eist asked as he bent down on his knees in front of Ciri with his hand behind his back that held the box with the pearl necklace.

“Yes!” Ciri said as she bounced on her toes.

Eist only smiled when he pulled his hand around and opened the box, revealing the necklace to Ciri. Calanthe smiled as Ciri’s eyes went wide as she stared down at the necklace.

“My very own pearl?” Ciri asked as she beamed.

“Your very own pearl.” Eist said as he pulled the necklace from the box. “Fit for a princess. Would you like to wear it now, little pup?”

Ciri bounced up and down as she nodded excitedly. Calanthe smiled as she gazed at Eist while he fumbled for a moment with the small clasp of the necklace. When Eist finished, Ciri turned to face him and threw her arms around his neck.

“Happy Birthday, little pup.” Eist whispered as he picked Ciri up and hugged her back.

After Ciri ate a piece of chocolate cake lathered in a thick layer of icing, Calanthe stood and went to the table that had the box with Ciri’s wooden sword in it.

“Ciri, come here Sweetheart.” Calanthe called as she carefully sat on the floor.

Her stomach was just a little bigger now and was becoming harder to hide under her dresses. The one she wore today was looser fitting, but depending on how Calanthe moved, it still could not conceal her bump. It took just a moment for Calanthe too get herself comfortable while Ciri trotted over to her.

“Go on.” Calanthe said softly as she set the box in front of Ciri.

Ciri quickly plopped herself down and pulled the box open, and stared down for a moment, almost looking as if she was in shock.

“My very own sword?” Ciri asked.

“Your very own sword.” Calanthe said as she smiled.

Ciri began to reach for it then, but Calanthe stopped her.

“Having a sword is a big responsibility, Ciri. You must be very careful with it.”

“I will, Grandmama. I promise.”

Calanthe smiled and moved her hand away then, allowing Ciri to pick up the sword.

“Now, if your tummy is not too upset from all the sweets you are eating,” Calanthe said as she reached over and lightly tickled Ciri on her side, “Then we can start training tomorrow.”

Ciri’s eyes went wide with excitement. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes, little cub. Tomorrow.”

For a moment, Ciri went to hug Calanthe but stopped herself. Calanthe smiled as Ciri carefully set her sword back in its box and then flung her arms around Calanthe’s neck.

“Happy birthday Ciri.”


	27. Chapter 14A - Eist

**Chapter 14A – Eist**

**Year 1256**

The sun was just rising as Eist woke, lazily feeling around the bed for Calanthe with his eyes still closed. He sighed after a moment. She must already be with Ciri. Eist ran his hand through his hair as he yawned and stretched his legs in bed before pulling back the covers. The air in the mornings was starting to warm just enough to stop his breath from freezing. Eist dressed quickly and headed off to the training yard in search of Calanthe and Ciri.

A light breeze began to blow as he walked through the open corridor around the perimeter of the training yard. He walked as quietly as he could as he eyed Calanthe resting against a pillar with her eyes closed. Ciri was slashing away at her target, causing bits of straw to go flying as she made swing after swing. She must be warming up. The breeze continued as Eist made his way around, still unnoticed, until he was walking behind Calanthe. When Eist neared her, he slowed to ensure his footsteps went unheard, and leaned down to press a kiss to her temple upon reaching her.

“You’re lucky that I didn’t pull my dagger on you, Eist Tuirseach.”

Eist grinned. “How did you know it was me?” Eist asked as he put his arm around Calanthe while pressing another kiss to her temple.

“I know your kisses all too well, Darling.” Calanthe said as she chuckled and leaned back into Eist’s chest.

Eist laughed lightly before asking, “Are you feeling alright this morning?” before resting his cheek against her temple.

“Yes, however I’m craving pickles.”

“Again?” Eist asked. “You ate a plate of them last night.”

Calanthe lightly elbowed him in the stomach as she laughed. “Yes, I did, and you can thank your child for that.”

Eist laughed loudly as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s temple again.

“Grandpapa!” Ciri shouted as she turned her attention from her target.

“I’m here little pup.” Eist said as he let go of Calanthe while they began to make their way to Ciri. “And what are we working on today?”

“Let’s try a crossbody strike.” Calanthe said.

Eist picked up the wooden sword that Calanthe must have set aside for him on a nearby barrel while Ciri practiced. When he turned Calanthe was adjusting Ciri’s grip on her sword before stepping back so Ciri could practice with Calanthe. Eist tensed as Ciri raised her wooden sword.

“Light swings, Ciri.” Eist cautioned as he took a few steps towards Calanthe.

An agreement was made before Ciri’s training began that if Ciri were to practice with a person instead of with a target, then it would be with Eist instead of Calanthe. She had protested at first, that was until Eist was able to convince her that getting hit in the stomach right now was not something that should be risked. Calanthe begrudgingly agreed, but only after Eist agreed himself that Ciri could at least make practice swings with her. In a way Eist felt bad. He knew Calanthe missed the rush of sword fighting.

“Alright, little cub. Go practice with your Grandfather.” Calanthe said as she stepped away.

Eist smiled as Ciri sprinted towards him. “Alright Ciri, start when you’re ready.” Eist said as he raised his sword in front of him.

Ciri took swing after swing, and Eist easily blocked them all. Her form was shaky but had improved much from when they first started training. Eist smirked as Ciri’s brow furrowed a little more with each strike as her determination, along with her form, grew. When Ciri made her next strike, her grip loosened too much causing Ciri’s sword to fall from her hand. Ciri groaned as she turned to pick up her sword as Eist lifted his eyes to Calanthe. Eist shook his head lightly as he grinned. Calanthe was taking swing after swing at the straw target, and regardless of her growing stomach, still fought in a way that was so fluid that she almost appeared to be dancing.

“Grandmama is good at fighting.” Ciri said softly.

Eist glanced down at Ciri then, to see she was also entranced with Calanthe. “Yes, she is.”

Calanthe laughed as she turned from the target. “One day Ciri, you will be as good as me. I promise.” Calanthe took a few steps towards Ciri and Eist before saying, “Alright, let me see what you’ve practiced.”

Ciri turned to face Eist again and made strike after strike, and Eist easily blocked them all.

As Ciri began to tire, her frustration began to grow. Eist could sense it and soon gave in, letting Ciri hit him as he dramatically fell on the ground. Ciri giggled like mad, her mood lifting quickly after she finally landed a blow.

They stayed in the training yard a little while longer, but Ciri was quickly tiring and growing hungrier by the minute. As Eist, Calanthe, and Ciri began to make their way to the banquet hall for breakfast, Eist stepped away, insisting he would join them soon.

Once Calanthe and Ciri were down the corridor and out of site, Eist turned and headed towards the kitchens. When he arrived, after apologizing to the servants for interrupting their morning, Eist went to the pantry and found one of the many jars of pickles that had been stocked since Calanthe had begun requesting them so much. After draining the liquid from the jar, Eist dumped the pickles onto a plate and then made his way towards the banquet hall. When he arrived, Calanthe beamed at him.

\--

The sky was clear, and the winds had warmed as Eist and Calanthe made their way by horseback to a lagoon off the Cintran coast. Eist tied the horses to a nearby tree upon their arrival while Calanthe took off her travel cloak and dress, leaving only one of Eist’s linen shirts on underneath. Eist quickly stripped off his clothes until he was down to a pair of linen shorts and tossed them over a rock and smiled when he turned his gaze to Calanthe. The linen shirt she wore barely fit her now that her breasts and stomach were beginning to swell. After taking Calanthe’s hand, he guided her to the water.

It was Eist’s idea for Calanthe to swim more frequently during her pregnancy. He could see she was growing restless with boredom and was beginning to be as miserable as a caged animal. She was used to being able to partake in any physical activity she wanted and was now very limited on what she could do. Swimming however was safe, allowing her to burn the energy she had gotten back as her pregnancy progressed while also providing much needed relief to her back and legs that were steadily beginning to ache.

Eist smiled as Calanthe made lap after lap around the lagoon while her linen shirt clung to her body and became almost sheer in the sunlight. They spent over an hour at the lagoon swimming most of the time but also taking the opportunity to occasionally splash each other. At one point Eist guided Calanthe to a part of the lagoon that went from shallow to suddenly very deep. When he and Calanthe were standing, Eist quickly picked Calanthe up and tossed her into the deep end, causing her to scream as she splashed into the water.

After dinner that night, Calanthe climbed into bed to rest on her side against Eist’s shoulder while he found where they left off in their book. Eist began reading first and was content, that was until Calanthe suddenly jumped, causing Eist to drop the book he was holding.

“What’s wrong?” Eist asked.

Calanthe rolled her eyes as she grabbed one of his hands and placed his palm on her stomach.

“I don’t know if you’ll be able to feel it.” Calanthe said as she pressed her palm over Eist’s hand.

“Feel what?” Eist asked as he stared at her stomach.

“Fluttering.”

Eist concentrated hard as he continued to stare. He couldn’t feel anything. For a moment he was disappointed, and admittedly jealous. Then suddenly, he could feel it. It was soft, almost barely noticeable, feeling as if someone was lightly strumming their fingers against his palm.

“What was that?” Eist asked softly as his eyes widened.

“Our child, Darling.” Calanthe responded as she leaned into Eist and kissed him gently.

When Calanthe pulled away, Eist smiled at her for a moment before turning his gaze back down to her stomach. The fluttering happened a few more times, each time eliciting a smile bigger than the last. When it was over, Calanthe rested herself back against the pillows while Eist pressed kisses all over her stomach.

“I love you.” Eist whispered before crawling back up the bed and laying on his back next to Calanthe as she yawned. “Tired, my love?” Eist asked as he lightly pressed his palm to Calanthe’s stomach.

Calanthe only nodded her head as she closed her eyes. Eist pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s lips before he pulled away from her. Afterward, he moved down the bed so he was lying next to her stomach. He rested his hand gently against her and began to rub in soft, circular motions as he began to talk. Calanthe’s hands ran through his hair for a few moments, but quickly stilled as she fell asleep. Eist smiled as he continued to talk, wondering out loud if it was a boy or a girl and what they would be like as they grew. On and on Eist went until he fell asleep with his hand still resting on Calanthe’s stomach.

\--

Eist stirred beside Calanthe as he woke and rolled onto his back to stretch before propping himself up on his elbows.

“Good morning.” Eist said as he turned to look up at Calanthe and smile as he quickly crawled up the bed to press a kiss to her lips.

“Good morning to you too.” Calanthe whispered when he pulled away from her to lean down and press a kiss to her stomach.

“And how late did you stay up last night?”

“Not much later than you.” Eist said as he laced his fingers with Calanthe’s and brought her hand to his lips to kiss it.

\--

Eist and Calanthe stayed in their chambers after eating, busying themselves with a game of chess. When the eleventh morning bell sounded, Eist sighed and got to his feet.

“Well I had better be on my way and get to the harbor. Crach and Bran will be arriving soon.” Eist said as he began to pull on his boots.

Eist glanced up at Calanthe as he began tying his laces. Her face was expressionless, but he could see tears forming in her eyes. For a moment he wondered what was wrong, and then it hit him suddenly. He was at the harbor on the day of their banquet when Calanthe began to miscarry. Eist grimaced to himself as Calanthe looked down at her lap and swallowed.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Eist smiled softly at Calanthe before getting on his knees in front of her. “Everything is going to be alright; I promise.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Come on, come with me and get some fresh air.”

\--

“You’re glowing.” Eist whispered as they stood outside the banquet hall, waiting for the doors to be opened and the herald to announce their arrival.

Calanthe smirked and then fidgeted where she stood.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked.

“I’m in the mood for pickles again.” Calanthe huffed.

Eist smirked for a moment. Calanthe’s cravings certainly had kicked into high gear. Pickles were not the only thing she craved. Chocolate, oranges, and blueberries were also favored, and luckily were all things that Calanthe typically enjoyed. The only thing that seemed to puzzle the servants was the Queens sudden love of pickles.

“I’ll give you a pickle tonight.” Eist said quietly as he smirked again, not being able to resist the comment.

Calanthe burst out laughing, causing one of the guards that stood nearby to jump.

“Darling, you deserve much more credit than that. I would say it’s much more comparable to a cucumber but have it your way.”

Eist raised his brow and smirked at her again when she glanced over at him as the doors were opened for them and their arrival announced.

\--

Eist insisted on making the announcement before the evening meal was served. Now that the evening meal was over and dessert was being set out, the guests began to mill around to talk and dance. Guests also slowly began to make their way up towards the high table where Calanthe and Eist sat to give their congratulations. Eist groaned when he saw Lord Hilqvuest.

“Who invited him?” Eist asked.

Calanthe had been patient when explaining to Eist about the fineries of Cintran politics, but it was to no avail. Things were simpler on Skellige, and he preferred it that way. Lord Hilqvuest was far too outspoken about his dislike for the Queen and her policies and Eist was more than willing to be just as public about his dislike for the lord in return.

“Darling, you know he must be invited.” Calanthe said as she looked over at Eist. “We cannot selectively invite lords and nobles to these banquets. Gods, if even one of them felt left out it could cause a rebellion. Just let me do the talking.”

“Your Majesties.” Hilqvuest said when he reached their table, bowing as he did. “This is, as always, a splendid banquet.”

Eist watched as Calanthe only nodded in response and gave a tight-lipped smile in return.

“And congratulations. I pray you have a healthy son.”

Skelligan’s were known for their anger, and while Eist was better at controlling his temper than most, he was not exempt from it either. Eist wasn’t sure what he intended on doing, but just as he went to stand, Calanthe pressed her hand firmly on his thigh. He took a deep breath to calm himself, but it didn’t work.

“And what if I do not have a son, Lord Hilqvuest?” Calanthe asked.

The anger in her voice was palpable and although she tried to hide it, Eist could sense it rolling off of her in waves.

“Well, there are rumors that the Riannon bloodline is cursed to only produce female heirs. I guess they would be correct.”

“And you believe such nonsense?” Calanthe asked.

Eist blinked, not quite believing what he was hearing. Surely Hilqvuest had lost his mind if he thought it was acceptable to speak to his queen this way, or he was so sure of his position in court that he knew he was protected.

“Of course not, your Majesty. I only say what I hear. Cintran princesses are just so common these days.” Hilqvuest said as he bowed.

Eist picked up Calanthe’s hand and removed it as quickly as he could before standing. His motion was so quick that it at least startled Hilqvuest, who stumbled backward. Luckily the banquet hall was still bustling with dancing and eating that no one else seemed to notice.

“Let me throw him in the gate keep.” Eist said as he sat back down.

“We cannot arrest a lord without reason.” Calanthe said quietly as she cleared her throat.

“There is plenty of reason. He is disrespectful and bigoted…”

“And those are not reasons to throw a lord in the gatekeep.” Calanthe interrupted. “I know you are angry but let’s not let him spoil our night.” Calanthe said as she took Eist’s hand under the table and squeezed it.

“Alright.” Eist said as he looked at her and grinned while he squeezed her hand in return.

Eist did indeed enjoy the rest of the night. Ciri stuffed herself full of as many sweets and cakes that she could get her hands on while Crach arm wrestled with several Cintran’s and easily beat all of them. Drag Bon Dhu play his bagpipes and Bran told stories of adventures that he and Eist had had at sea. The thought was there though, slowly eating away at Eist. He could not help but see suspicion in every Cintran lord he looked at, wondering just how many of them were set on removing their queen from her throne.

\--

“Congratulations, your Majesty.” Vissegerd said as he took to his knee to bow when Eist, Calanthe, and Ciri entered the training yard. Vissegerd took Calanthe’s hand and kissed the back of it gently before rising again. “Here to train the little lion cub, your Majesty?” Vissegerd ask as he smiled down at Ciri.

Calanthe raised her brow. “How did you know?”

Vissegerd laughed as he walked towards the storage room. “I found her little sword the other day, and there is no one else in the palace that it would belong too.”

“Care for a round, your Majesty?” Vissegerd asked Eist as Calanthe took Ciri to the straw target to begin her warmup.

Eist smirked, “Sure, why not?”

Vissegerd picked up two dull blades and handed one of them to Eist. Vissegerd, despite his advancing age, was still a skilled warrior and Eist rather enjoyed sparring with him. Neither man held back, and they made strike after strike, each of them blocking the blow that the other made.

Eist swung his sword across his body, taking his chance to hit Vissegerd has he raised his sword. Eist hit him, but only with a measured stroke with the flat edge of his blade. Vissegerd in turn cut his blade down across him and hit Eist on the side of his shin, also with the flat edge of his blade. It stung and would probably leave a bruise. After Vissegerd’s blade hit Eist, the both of them burst into laughter and lowered their swords.

“It seems you have lost an arm.” Eist said jokingly as he caught his breath.

“That may be, your Majesty, but at least I still have both legs.”

“Fair point.” Eist said as he clasped Vissegerd on the back while they made their way to where Calanthe and Ciri were sitting.

“Who won?” Ciri asked as she bounced on the bench.

“I did.”

Calanthe snorted back laughter as both men responded in unison while Ciri scrunched her face in confusion.

“Care to show me what you’ve learned so far, your Highness?” Vissegerd asked as he held his hand out to Ciri.

Ciri stood and picked up her wooden sword before sprinting to the center of the training yard. Eist and Vissegerd both took turns dramatically falling down when they let Ciri land her strikes against them.

\--

Eist awoke the following morning, curled up in the middle of the bed. He had fallen asleep resting beside Calanthe’s stomach again. He blinked heavily after opening his eyes when he didn’t feel Calanthe in their bed. As he sat up and stretched his back, he heard movement coming from the dressing room. Eist yawned as he stood and slipped on his linen shorts before finding Calanthe sitting on a stool in front of a dresser, surrounded by piles of dresses and gowns.

“What are you doing?” Eist asked sleepily.

“Making room for you.” Calanthe said as she pulled out her leather pants and held them up, refolded them, and set them aside.

“You’re not getting rid of those, are you?” Eist asked as his eyes went wide.

Those pants had quickly become Eist’s favorite thing that Calanthe wore besides his linen shirts.

Calanthe laughed. “No, that’s the keep pile, Darling.”

\--

After Eist was able to move his clothing to the dressing room, they made quick work the following day on changing the setup of the spare bedchamber. The bed was removed and put into storage, giving room for the cradle that was passed down through Calanthe’s family to be brought up. It was much more elaborate than the cradles that Eist had seen on Skellige.

“You know what would look nice in here?” Calanthe asked.

“What’s that?” Eist asked in return as he set the iron fireguard in front of the fireplace.

Calanthe stood and silently left the room and returned a few moments later to hand a piece of parchment upside down to Eist. He turned it in his hands, unsure as to what was just handed to him.

“We will have to get it framed of course.” Calanthe said as she sat down.

Calanthe handed Eist the drawing he made to design her ring. He had admittedly forgotten all about the drawing and just assumed it had been disposed of years ago. The fact that Calanthe kept it at all touched him, but what brought him to tears was that she wanted to hang it in their child’s room.

“You kept this?” Eist asked.

“Of course, I kept it.” Calanthe said. “Maybe you could draw more, if you’d like and we could hang them…”

Eist set the drawing quickly aside just before he pressed a searing kiss to her lips as he wrapped his arms around her.

\--

As time went by, Eist became more and more fascinated with how much Calanthe’s body changed. He knew there were men that were less than pleased as to how their wives’ bodies changed when they were with child, but as time went by and Calanthe’s stomach grew, he became more and more enamored with her than he was before. Curves appeared that were not there before and her breasts were swelling. Calanthe was less than pleased though, and he caught her more than once gazing into the looking glass, clearly displeased as to what she saw. Eist couldn’t understand it. She looked as beautiful as ever, and there was something incredibly alluring about Calanthe carrying his child.

There were downsides though, and as Calanthe’s pregnancy progressed, they became more and more prevalent. Calanthe was beginning to waddle when she walked and while Eist found it endearing, Calanthe did not. Sleeping together was becoming a challenge and while Eist managed to find the humor in it, he could see the frustration in her face as they maneuvered and flipped around till they would finally find a comfortable position. Sleeping was also a challenge as Calanthe would toss and turn all night long, and often late into the mornings, not able to sleep. Her temperament was beginning to constantly be on edge, laughing one minute and in tears the next.

One night Eist was awoken again as Calanthe tossed and turned beside him. He blinked himself awake as Calanthe rolled on her side, facing away from him. Eist sighed softly as he moved to press himself against her back and wrap his arms around her. As soon as he pressed himself to her, he could feel her shaking softly and that was when he noticed she was crying.

“My love, what’s wrong?” Eist asked softly as he raised himself on his elbow to press a kiss to her cheek.

“It’s my back. I can’t get comfortable. And I’m exhausted and I’m in pain and I want to scream!” Calanthe blurted out as she started to cry harder.

Eist thought for a moment, wondering what he could do to help at least ease her pain. Potions wouldn’t work, they were too risky to take while pregnant. After another moment, Eist climbed out of bed, thinking of what he could try.

“Where are you going?”

Eist grimaced. He could hear the pain and exhaustion in her voice. Eist quickly crossed to her side of the bed and bent down to press a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

The corridors were empty save for a few guards and barely lit by fading torches as Eist made his way to Mousesack’s chambers. When he arrived, the druids door was locked. Eist took a breath and then knocked. He waited, hoping Mousesack heard and was dressing. After another minute, Eist pounded on the door. He heard Mousesack yell from inside his chambers and a few moments later he opened the door, looking rather irritated.

“What’s wrong?” Mousesack asked through a yawn.

“Do you have any shea butter?”

“What?” Mousesack asked as he yawned again.

“Shea butter. I need it for the Queen.”

Mousesack took a moment to focus as he blinked and held the door open for Eist to enter. “I should. Is her Majesty all right?”

“No, she’s at her wits end. She can’t sleep and her entire body is aching at this point.”

Mousesack crossed the room to a chest and pulled out a jar filled with solid shea butter.

“Let me know if she does not improve. She can’t be under duress right now.”

Eist nodded as he silently took the jar, picked up a small kettle, and quickly made his way back to their chambers. When he entered, Calanthe was still lying in bed, this time turned to the side of the bed that Eist slept on. He quickly took the shea butter and scooped some of it out with his hand, tossed it into the small kettle and set it by the fire. When he stood and turned to go to Calanthe, he could see tears shining on her cheeks. Eist grabbed a nearby armless chair and placed it in front of the fire before crossing to her side of the bed.

“Can you stand?” Eist asked.

“What?” Calanthe asked weakly.

Eist put his hands around her and gently pulled her to the edge of the bed, and when she reached it, he turned her towards him so he could pull her legs over the edge of the bed.

“Please just let me be.” Calanthe said weakly.

The tone in her voice almost made him stop, but he was convinced that this would give her relief. Eist gently put his arms under her and lifted her to her feet, grimacing when he saw Calanthe’s face twist in pain when she stood.

“Just come right over here.” Eist said softly as he half guided, half carried her to straddle the chair in front of the fire. “Lean forward.” Eist said as he gently pressed on her upper back.

Calanthe folded her arms over the top of the chair and rested her forehead against her chin. Eist sighed as he went back to the kettle by the fire. The shea butter had quickly melted into a rich, oil like substance. Eist tested it and it was hot, but not unbearable. He picked up the kettle and took a small handful to dribble over her back, causing Calanthe to let out a yelp in response.

“Is it too hot?” Eist asked.

“No.”

“Where does it hurt the most?” Eist asked as he pressed his hands against her back, massaging gently.

“Lower. What did you put on my back?”

“Shea butter. It becomes an oil if it’s melted down. I thought the heat from it would help while I give you a massage.”

Eist bent down and began kneading his hands into her lower back, slowly moving from side to side. First he used the base of his hands, then his thumbs, and occasionally his knuckles. Calanthe’s back was tense but slowly began to relax. After a few moments, Calanthe let out a loud groan.

“Does it hurt?” Eist asked as he stopped, worried that he had pressed too hard.

“No, it feels wonderful.” Calanthe whispered.

Eist smiled softly and continued, slowly working his way up Calanthe’s back. She adjusted herself slightly and leaned further against the chair. He worked his way up her back, over her shoulders and neck, and down again. He was not sure how much time had passed, but he eventually guided Calanthe back to bed. When she reached the bed, Eist helped her to lay on her side and returned to the kettle by the fire for more oil. This time Eist focused first on her buttocks, then down her thighs and her legs.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered when he moved his hands to her hips and then her stomach and massaged gently.

“I love you too.” Eist chuckled as he leaned over to kiss her on the lips.

Calanthe was fighting to keep herself awake at this point, he could tell by the way she forced her eyes open every few minutes. Eist reached over to his side of the bed, picked up a pillow and placed it underneath her stomach. He then reached for two more and put one in between her thighs and the other in between her calves. Eist wasn’t sure, but he was hoping at least this way pressure would be taken off those areas. He smiled as he began to rub the rest of the hot oil into her lower back and leaned over to see Calanthe was finally asleep.

\--

Eist awoke early the next morning, and even though he was still tired as he rose from bed, he was pleased to see that Calanthe was still fast asleep. He chuckled as he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, being careful not to wake her. She was in the same position she was when she drifted off to sleep the night before.

After dressing, Eist made his way to the main hall, just in time to intercept the palace courier. After gathering the daily reports from Skellige, he then made his way to Calanthe’s handmaiden’s chambers to tell them to not come by until later in the day. When he returned to his chambers, Eist kicked off his boots, stripped down to linen shorts, climbed back into bed while Calanthe slept soundly beside him, and began to read.

He was almost finished with all the reports when Calanthe stirred. Eist glanced over and smirked as Calanthe stretched her back before looking up at him.

“Good morning.” Eist whispered as he set the parchment down.

“Good morning to you too.” Calanthe said as Eist leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Are you feeling better today?” Eist asked as he settled himself on his side and began to rub his hand over her hip.

“I am, all thanks to you.” Calanthe whispered as she pressed her forehead to Eist’s.

Eist chuckled as he nuzzled against Calanthe and whispered. “You’re the one doing all the work, my love. I feel rather useless right now, but I will do anything to make you feel better.”

Calanthe pressed a soft kiss to Eist’s lips as she ran her hand through Eist’s hair. “I promise you, my Darling, you are anything but useless. That massage last night was wonderful.”

Eist only smiled in response.

\--

“I don’t have to go.” Eist said as he and Calanthe made their way back to their chambers from dinner.

Crach had thought it was a good idea for himself, Eist, Bran, Duny, and Mousesack to go down to a tavern by the harbor in a few days’ time. While Calanthe seemed amused at the idea, Eist was less than thrilled. He thought his tavern days were behind him.

Calanthe chuckled. “I think you should. You will have fun, and Bran is right. Your life will change after you become a father. Besides, someone is going to have to keep the rest of them in line.”

Eist only laughed in response.

\--

Calanthe sighed as Eist rubbed her back with the melted shea butter. Eist was set to leave soon to meet with Crach to head down to the tavern but had insisted on massaging her back before he left.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I can just tell them that I’m needed here.”

“You bloody well better go. I need a night without you.” Calanthe joked as Eist finished.

“Careful, or you just might hurt my feelings.” Eist joked back as he stepped back and helped Calanthe stand from the chair she was leaning on.

Once Calanthe was situated in bed, Eist had just pulled the covers up over her when she took his face with her hands and ran her thumbs along his beard covered jaw.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered.

“I love you too.”

Calanthe smiled. “Have fun, Darling. And don’t get into too much trouble.”

Eist grinned, “If you need me…”

“I’ll send a guard for you at once.”

Eist pressed a final kiss to her lips and left to make his way down to the courtyard. He sighed as he walked. Years ago, long before he met Calanthe, he spent many a night when he was on land in taverns. The nights were spent drinking, laughing, brawling, and wooing whatever woman he desired that night. But those days were long behind him. While he appreciated the gesture, Eist wasn’t the same man he used to be.

_“Oh well, it’s one night.”_ Eist thought to himself as he made his way to the courtyard.

\--

“We are going to have a good time tonight Uncle; I promise you that!” Crach yelled as they made their way down to the harbor by horseback.

They had decided to dress plainly, and without guards for escorts. It would not do them any good to be recognized. The horseback ride was short, and soon Eist was being dragged inside by Crach. As Eist looked around, he quickly deduced that this tavern was the same as the rest of them. It was crowded and dark, full of smoke and men and the occasional woman laughing, brawling, singing, and arguing.

Crach forced their way through the crowd and up the stairs to a table that was out of the way enough so they would be able to hear themselves talk.

“I’ll get us some beers.” Eist said before he sat and made his way down the stairs again.

Eist sighed as he leaned against the bar, trying very hard to not overhear the conversations going on around him. Eist was staring at a line of mules behind the bar when he felt a hand rest on his arm. He did not pull away, but quickly turned to look at who had approached him. It was a woman, a woman he did not recognize.

“Here by yourself, are you?”

“No.” Eist said as he pulled his arm away to hang by his side. “The rest of my party is upstairs.”

“So, you’re not in need of any company tonight?”

Eist smirked which was followed quickly by a frown. He did have company, and he would rather be with her. “No. I’m married, but I am sure there are other men here who would enjoy your company.”

“Well, in my experience what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

Eist didn’t have to speak when he looked back at the woman. The look he gave was enough to make the propositions stop.

“I’m just looking for work.” The woman said, and Eist noticed a hint of desperation in her voice as she spoke. “Is there anyone in your party who isn’t married.”

Eist flicked his eyes over the woman before realization fell on him. “How much do you charge?” Eist asked.

“I thought you weren’t interested?”

“How much?”

“It depends on what is asked of me, on which services I perform.”

“Alright, if I were to ask you for every service you offer, how much would you charge?”

He had caught her off guard. The woman looked almost frightened for a moment as she appeared to be doing the math in her head. “50 ducats.”

“Fifty? You must have many talents.” Eist said as he glanced up to see the bartender approaching with the beers.

“Who are you?”

“That doesn’t matter.” Eist said as the bartender handed the beers to him.

“Wait here.” Eist said as he made his way through the crowd and up the stairs to where he had left Crach, Bran, Mousesack, and Duny. “I’ll be right back.” Eist said as he handed the beers out.

“Where are you going? Who is that?” Crach asked as he motioned towards the stairs.

Eist turned to see the woman standing there, looking around nervously before making eye contact with Eist. So much for staying downstairs.

“I said I’ll be right back.”

\--

“Where do you live?” Eist asked when he stepped outside as the woman followed closely behind him.

“Not far. It’s about a five-minute walk.”

“What’s your name by the way?”

“Elin. What’s yours?”

“Doesn’t fifty ducats give me the right to anonymity?”

\--

When they arrived at Elin’s home, Eist was shocked by what he saw. Elin had almost no belongings, leaving her home bare of furniture save for a table and two chairs. There were no cabinets or chests that he could see, and it looked as though there was only one barrel of food. There was a toddler, four years old at the most, asleep on blanket on top of the floor near the fire.

“Is that your son?” Eist asked as he shut the door behind him.

Elin lowered her eyes. “Yes, but he will leave us alone when we are in the other room. He knows not to interrupt.”

Eist sighed. “We won’t be using the other room.” He pulled out his coin pouch and set it on a nearby table while Elin looked at him, clearly confused. “I came here because if I had handed this to you at the tavern and someone had seen, it would not have ended well for you.”

Elin shook her head. “But I have not done anything…”

“How far along are you?” Eist asked as he nodded towards her stomach.

“What? How did you know?”

Eist smirked. “My wife is expecting. She’s a few month’s further along than you, but you hold your stomach the same way she does.”

Elin stared at Eist as her eyes began to water.

“Look, I’m not here to cast judgment on you. Take the coin. It should be enough to allow you to at least take some time off until your child is born.”

“Who are you?” Elin asked again.

“That doesn’t matter.” Eist said as he left to head back to the tavern.

\--

The tavern was abuzz when Eist arrived back and quickly made his way upstairs. As he sat down in his seat, his group quickly went quiet.

“Uncle, is everything all right?” Crach asked as he gulped.

“What are you talking about?” Eist asked as he picked up a full mule of beer and began to drink.

“I’m just surprised is all. I never thought you would sleep with another woman besides Modron.”

Eist spit out his drink as he glared at Crach, wondering what his nephew was talking about. It took a moment and then Eist sighed as he set his beer down. He had not thought about how it would look if he left unexpectedly with a woman, then again, he had also not planned on Elin following him upstairs either. Suddenly he became worried. What if someone else saw him leave with her, someone who recognized him?

“I did not sleep with her, and all of you damn well know that. I gave her all the coin I was carrying and left.”

The expressions around the table were mixed. Crach looked confused, Bran looked sympathetic, Mousesack looked between a mix of sad and worried, and Duny looked shocked.

“She came up to me when I was waiting for the beers and I could tell she was with child. I took her back to her home so no one would see me hand her such a large amount of coin. You all know what people are like, and what they would do to a woman alone at night to take it from her. So I walked her home, gave her the coin, and left.”

Everyone let out a sigh of relief in unison.

“How much did you give her?” Bran asked.

“Two hundred ducats.”

“Two hundred?” Duny asked as he also spit his drink out.

“Are you going to tell the Queen about that?” Mousesack asked as he sipped his beer.

“Of course I am. And I would be surprised if Calanthe did not insist that we send more coin.”

\--

The rest of the night went smoothly, and while Crach and Bran found women to spend their night with, Eist made his way back to the palace alone as did Mousesack and Duny. Climbing onto his horse was a challenge, as was attempting to guide it in the right direction.

“You’re going the wrong way!” Mousesack said through fits of laughter as he swayed on his horse.

“I am not.” Eist said.

“Yes, you are. You are going in circles for a start.” Duny said as he attempted to climb onto his horse, only his foot did not make it into the stirrup, causing him to stumble as he burst into laughter.

\--

“Where are we going?” Duny asked as he crouched low to the ground.

“Why are you walking like that?” Eist asked as he chuckled.

“We have to be quiet!” Duny said as he shushed Eist.

“We live here!” Eist said back, whispering so loudly there was no point in whispering at all.

Eventually Eist, Duny, and Mousesack made it first to Duny’s chambers.

“There are guards outside the door!” Duny said as he crouched low to the ground again.

“There are always guards outside your door!” Mousesack whispered.

It took a moment for Duny to focus is eyes as he stood up straight and walked towards his door. He could not walk in a straight lined, so instead he almost zig zagged his way there, causing the guards to give him some rather curious looks. “I live here.” Duny said as he clasped one of the guards on the shoulder while the other opened the door for him.

Eist laughed as the guards looked at each other and shrugged.

\--

Eist stumbled through the door to his chambers, even though the guards had opened it for him, followed closely by Mousesack. He was attempting to focus on where he was going, but it was to no avail, and he promptly walked into a chair. He was irritated for a moment, but then burst into laughter.

“Shh!” Mousesack said from behind him, just before walking into the chair himself as Eist began to make his way towards the bedchamber.

When Eist entered, he realized suddenly how hard it was for him to see. Everything was blurry and dark. Eist thought back for a moment on how much he drank that night, and for a split second he regretted it. His thoughts returned quickly to the present though and attempted to focus on the bed. Someone was lying in it; he could tell that much for sure.

“Eist? Why don’t you come to bed?”

Eist grinned as he walked towards the bed. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. He continued forward, intent on finding out who was lying in his bed. Suddenly his legs hit the bed, and he tumbled onto it slightly.

“Who put that there?” Eist mumbled as he struggled to raise himself before walking around the bed.

“Come on, Darling.”

Eist leaned over the bed, and realized it was a woman lying in it. As he leaned closer, his vision sharpened, and he could see what she looked like. She was beautiful with brown eyes flecked with gold, fair skin and dark hair. As Eist hovered his lips above hers, he swore he could smell a mix of juniper berries and shea butter.

“You are very beautiful. But I’m married.” Eist declared before he stood up straight.

Eist blinked heavily for a moment as he looked around the room. The woman in his bed looked like Calanthe, but it wasn’t her, was it? He blinked again as his vision shifted for a moment.

“Wait.” Mousesack said. He had stumbled into their room at some point and was now sitting on a chair in the corner. “I think that’s your wife.”

Eist turned suddenly and focused hard on the woman in bed, which he was almost certain was his bed. For a moment Eist thought he may be in the wrong room.

“Eist Tuirseach, I am going to kick your ass the whole way back to Skellige if you don’t get into bed this instant!”

“Calanthe!” Eist said as he felt himself smile like a fool while he made his way back to her. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too. How much did you have to drink exactly?” Calanthe asked when Eist reached her.

Mousesack sat laughing in the corner. “There was beer, and then vodka, and then beer, and then more vodka!”

“Great.” Calanthe muttered.

Eist swayed where he stood as Calanthe rose from the bed. For a moment Eist smirked as she walked towards him.

“I did that.” Eist whispered, pointing at Calanthe’s stomach while looking at Mousesack as she walked in between them to head towards the door.

“Yes, you did Darling and you should be very proud of yourself.” Calanthe said, patting Eist on the chest.

Eist focused hard as a guard suddenly entered the bedchamber with Calanthe. He sighed heavily as he sat on the floor while the guard left with Mousesack. Suddenly Eist’s boots were bothering him, so he began to fumble with the laces to try to take them off. Calanthe was there then, tugging at Eist’s boots until she finally pulled them off, causing him to roll backwards. Eist laughed uncontrollably for a few moments but finally stood when Calanthe took his hands in hers and guided him to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I’m tired.” Eist mumbled through a yawn after Calanthe pulled off his doublet and shirt and tossed them to the side.

“Lay back.” Calanthe said.

Eist thought about lying back but instead sat and just stared straight ahead. The next thing Eist knew, Calanthe pressed lightly on his chest and he fell back onto the mattress as he burst into laughter again. His pants were being untied as he laughed and then were pulled off of him. Eist blinked suddenly, wondering exactly what Calanthe’s intensions were.

“In the mood for a little hanky panky?” Eist asked.

Eist lifted his head off the bed and grinned down at Calanthe.

“A little hank… What are you talking about?” Calanthe asked as she looked up from where she was at the foot of the bed.

“You’re taking my pants off, my beautiful wife.” Eist said as he winked at her.

Calanthe chuckled. “Maybe tomorrow, but for right now you need to get some sleep.”

Eist sighed heavily as he laid back down while Calanthe walked away from him. His head felt heavy and was starting to throb.

“Come on, Darling. Get under the covers.”

Eist only groaned in response.

“Do not make me drag you up here.”

Eist craned his neck to look up at where Calanthe was now standing by his bedside table and grinned before crawling up the bed. Calanthe sighed softly as she began to tuck him in.

“Here, drink this.”

“Is this vodka?” Eist asked as he stared at the mule that was offered to him.

“No, it’s water.”

“Then I’m not drinking it.”

“Eist…”

“Fine.” Eist said, cutting her off before chugging the mule of water.

The water tasted good. The alcohol was wearing off though and his head was beginning to throb. Eist finished his first mule which was quickly filled again by Calanthe. He watched as she moved around the room and sipped at his newly filled mule.

“Make sure you drink all of that.”

“But what if I’m not thirsty?”

“Drink it. You’ll thank me in the morning.”

Eist sighed before finishing his water. His eyes were becoming heavy as he yawned and stretched his legs under the covers and settled back against the pillows. He curled onto his side as he watched Calanthe for a moment before passing out.

\--

When Eist awoke the following day, he was sure his head was going to split into two.

“Oh Gods.” Eist groaned as he went to sit up, but quickly decided against it as his head began to spin.

As he laid back down, he suddenly felt his stomach churn and quickly bolted up again even though his head was spinning. A flash of light went through the room before going dark again, causing Eist to snap his eyes closed for a moment.

Eist was not sure where Calanthe came from, but suddenly she was in front of him, holding a basin out just as he began to vomit. When he finished, he felt her hand against his shoulder as she balanced the basin in her other and set it down on his bedside table. Eist took several deep breaths as he winced, feeling pain shoot through his head.

“Here, drink this.” Calanthe said softly.

Eist glanced down through the darkness to see her handing him another mule of water. He didn’t protest, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that water would do him good right now. Eist drank it quickly and then stumbled as he tried to stand.

“Woah, where do you think you’re going?” Calanthe said as she put her arm around him.

“Privy.” Eist said weakly.

After Eist finished and Calanthe helped him back into bed, Eist rested himself high against the headboard as he closed his eyes.

“What time is it?” Eist asked quietly as he took a deep breath.

“The twelfth bell rang not too long ago.” Calanthe said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Eist glanced towards the windows. Even though the covers were shut, he could still make out light around the edges.

“I’m sorry.” Eist said as he ran both his hands through his hair.

“For what?” Calanthe asked as she rested her hand on his knee.

“You’re in no condition to deal with me like this.”

“I’m only carrying a child, Eist. I may waddle, but I am still capable of quite a lot.”

Eist laughed lightly, ignoring just for a moment the pain that rang in his head.

“Besides, you seemed like you had a good time last night. You were rather entertaining when you arrived home.”

He blinked for a moment. The night was a blur. He remembered arriving to the tavern, remembered giving coin to a woman whose name he could not recall, and remembered drinking an awful amount of beer and vodka. What he did not remember was arriving back to the palace and certainly did not remember talking to Calanthe at all after he left yesterday.

“I don’t even remember coming back last night.” Eist groaned out before yawning.

Calanthe smiled softly at him. “I’ll tell you all about it when you’re up to it but for now, why don’t you get some more sleep.”

“I love you.” Eist said softly as he felt Calanthe pull the covers over him.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered before pressing a kiss to his forehead just as he fell back asleep.


	28. Chapter 14B - Calanthe

**Chapter 14B – Calanthe**

**Year 1256**

Calanthe had fallen asleep the night before with her back against Eist’s chest as they sat up together in bed, taking turns reading to each other. The subject of the book did not exactly interest her, but Eist wanted to learn more about the Wraiths of Mörhogg, and it was his turn to pick the book they read. When she woke in the morning, well before the sun rose, Eist’s arm was still wrapped around her shoulders while his hand rested against her chest above her heart. She could feel his head leaning against hers and her left leg was still draped over his right. Calanthe chuckled softly. Neither one of them had moved from the night before. For a moment she laid there and brought her hand to lay over Eist’s as it rested against her chest. He stirred for a moment and turned to nuzzle against her temple and quickly fell back asleep.

It took a little while for Calanthe to untangle herself from Eist. If she moved too quickly, she knew she would wake him, and she wanted to let him sleep. When she was finally able to stand, she made her way to her dressing room to change. Calanthe pulled on the loosest fitting dress she could find and then slipped her boots on. She looked in the mirror before walking out and pressed her hands to her stomach. Rumors were starting to swirl, she overheard as much at court. In a way it slightly amused her. She had not heard a single rumor that suspected she was pregnant. Instead, everyone seemed to think she was putting on weight. Luckily the banquet announcing the pregnancy was to be held in a few days’ time, leaving her only a few more days of having to attempt to hide behind loose fitting dresses.

After Calanthe left her dressing room, she made her way to the desk in the sitting room to leave a note for Eist to meet Ciri and herself in the training yard after he woke. She returned to their bedchamber, quickly braided her hair, put the note on Eist’s bedside table and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

\--

“I’m going to have her sleep in your chambers if you keep on insisting training her this early.” Pavetta said through a yawn as she opened the door for Calanthe.

“It won’t be for much longer. Once the announcement is made, I won’t have to hide behind these foolish dresses.”

Ciri opened her bedchamber door then and sprinted out. Calanthe smirked as Ciri ran to her, wearing her little linen shirt, leather doublet, linen pants, and leather boots that were made for her to train in. She looked like a little soldier, and in many ways looked like Calanthe as a child.

“Are you ready?” Calanthe asked as she took Ciri’s hand.

\--

Calanthe and Ciri had been training for two weeks, and Calanthe had to admit that she was learning fast. When they arrived at the training yard, the sun was just beginning to rise. After retrieving Ciri’s wooden sword and two wooden swords for herself and Eist from the storage room, Calanthe returned to the yard.

“Alright, go warm up on the target.” Calanthe said as she handed Ciri her sword.

Ciri quickly sprinted towards the target and began hacking at it wildly. Calanthe laughed lightly while she shook her head. What Ciri lacked in form, she made up for in spirit. At one point, Ciri lifted the sword high above her head and when the strike landed, she stumbled.

“Watch your footing, Ciri.” Calanthe said as she leaned against a nearby pillar. “Your strike means nothing if you don’t have stable footing.”

“Yes, Grandmama.” Ciri said as she adjusted her feet, spreading them just a little wider than before.

“That’s better.” Calanthe said just before Ciri continued.

“Is Grandpapa coming to train today?” Ciri asked as she swung again.

“I’m sure he will after he wakes.” Calanthe said as she smiled.

She knew her husband well. Eist no doubt had woken soon after she left and was most likely dressing to come down. He had joined Calanthe and Ciri every time they trained, insisting that if Ciri wanted to practice with a person instead of a target, it would be him. Calanthe protested, but not for long. Eist was right, getting hit in the stomach even with a wooden sword was not something to risk. Instead, Calanthe demonstrated the strikes with Ciri, and Ciri would in turn practice them with Eist. While Calanthe was not enjoying feeling sidelined, she did enjoy how good Eist was at dramatically falling to the ground when he would let Ciri hit him.

A few moments later, Calanthe was still leaning against pillar while Ciri continued to practice. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the light breeze that was blowing through the courtyard. Suddenly, a kiss was pressed to her temple.

“You’re lucky that I didn’t pull my dagger on you, Eist Tuirseach.” Calanthe said with closed eyes.

“How did you know it was me?” Eist asked as he put his arms around Calanthe while he pressed another kiss to her temple.

Calanthe chuckled. “I know your kisses all too well, Darling.” Calanthe said as she leaned back into his chest.

Eist laughed lightly before asking, “Are you feeling alright this morning?” before resting his cheek against her temple.

“Yes, however I’m craving pickles.”

“Again?” Eist asked. “You ate a plate of them last night.”

Calanthe lightly elbowed him in the stomach as she laughed. “Yes, I did, and you can thank your child for that.”

Eist laughed loudly as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s temple again.

“Grandpapa!” Ciri shouted as she turned her attention from her target.

“I’m here little pup.” Eist said as he let go of Calanthe while they began to make their way to Ciri. “And what are we working on today?”

“Let’s try a crossbody strike.” Calanthe said.

She demonstrated it for Ciri a few times against the target by raising her sword over her left shoulder and bringing it down, crossing over the midsection of the target to end at her right side.

“Like this?” Ciri asked as she practiced the swing against the target.

Ciri’s strikes were still wobbly, and it would be some time before they became clean. Calanthe adjusted Ciri’s grip slightly and then had her practice on her.

“Light swings, Ciri.” Eist cautioned as he took a few steps towards Calanthe.

Ciri did make light swings, so light that they made it impossible to assess Ciri’s form.

“Alright, little cub. Go practice with your Grandfather.” Calanthe said as she stepped away.

While Ciri practiced with Eist, Calanthe took a few minutes to take swings at the target. It felt good to get her blood pumping again and soon Calanthe was smiling, feeling a bit like a fool but unable to stop as she took swing after swing. After a few minutes, Calanthe stopped for a moment to adjust her grip and glanced up at Ciri who was staring with her eyes wide.

“Grandmama is good at fighting.” Ciri said softly.

“Yes, she is.” Eist said as he gazed at Calanthe.

Calanthe laughed as she turned from the target. “One day Ciri, you will be as good as me. I promise.” Calanthe took a few steps towards Ciri and Eist before saying, “Alright, let me see what you’ve practiced.”

Ciri made strike after strike, and Eist easily blocked all of them. Ciri’s footing was improving, and her strikes were not bad considering she was only seven years old. As Ciri began to tire, her frustration began to grow. Eist soon gave in and let Ciri hit him before dramatically falling on the ground. Ciri giggled like mad, her mood lifting quickly since she had finally landed a blow.

They stayed in the training yard a little while longer, but Ciri was quickly tiring and growing hungrier by the minute. Calanthe and Ciri soon joined Pavetta, Duny, and Mousesack for breakfast in the private banquet hall while Eist went his own way, insisting he would join them soon. Eist did indeed join them soon, and Calanthe smiled when he brought a plate of pickles for her with him.

\--

The sky was clear, and the winds had warmed as Calanthe and Eist made their way by horseback to a lagoon off the Cintran coast. Eist tied the horses to a nearby tree upon their arrival while Calanthe took off her travel cloak and dress, leaving only one of Eist’s linen shirts underneath. It barely covered her now and was beginning to fit rather snug as her breasts and stomach grew bigger. Calanthe smirked as Eist stripped off his clothes till he was down to a pair of linen shorts before taking her hand and guiding her to the water.

It was Eist’s idea for Calanthe to swim more frequently during her pregnancy, and Calanthe had to admit that she was rather enjoying it. She felt light in the water and it gave her relief from the pain that was already beginning to form in her lower back. They swam for over an hour while Calanthe made lap after lap around the lagoon. At one point Eist guided Calanthe to a part of the lagoon that went from shallow to suddenly very deep. When he and Calanthe were standing, Eist quickly picked Calanthe up and tossed her into the deep end, causing her to scream as she splashed into the water. Calanthe loved times like these, when she and Eist were alone and she was able to let go of all the burdens she carried, even if it was just for a little while.

After dinner that night, Calanthe climbed into bed to rest on her side against Eist’s shoulder while he found where they left off in their book. Eist began reading first that night but Calanthe found it hard to keep awake. Just as she began to close her eyes, she suddenly felt a light fluttering sensation in her stomach. Calanthe jumped for a moment, causing Eist to jump in return as he dropped the book.

“What’s wrong?” Eist asked.

Calanthe rolled her eyes as she grabbed one of his hands and placed his palm on her stomach.

“I don’t know if you’ll be able to feel it.” Calanthe said as she pressed her palm over Eist’s hand.

“Feel what?” Eist asked as he stared at her stomach.

“Fluttering.”

Calanthe smiled as she watched Eist concentrate so hard that lines began forming on his forehead. The fluttering came again, and Eist must have felt it too. He looked up at her, his bright blue eyes wide.

“What was that?” Eist asked softly.

“Our child, Darling.” Calanthe responded as she leaned into Eist and kissed him gently.

When Calanthe pulled away, he smiled at her for a moment before turning his gaze back down to her stomach. The fluttering happened a few more times, each time eliciting a smile bigger than the last. When it was over, Calanthe rested herself back against the pillows while Eist pressed kisses all over her stomach.

“I love you.” Eist whispered before crawling back up the bed and laying on his back next to Calanthe as she yawned. “Tired, my love?” Eist asked as he lightly pressed his palm to Calanthe’s stomach.

Calanthe only nodded her head in response as she closed her eyes, not able to fain off sleep anymore. Eist pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s lips before he pulled away from her. She didn’t have the strength to open her eyes, but soon felt Eist move down the bed to rest his head beside her stomach. His hand was resting lightly against her as he rubbed her stomach in soft, circular motions. Calanthe lifted her hands to bury them in Eist’s wavy hair and heard him begin to talk just as she fell asleep.

\--

When Calanthe woke the following morning, it took her a moment to remember what had happened as she fell asleep the night before. Eist had fallen asleep next to her stomach, and she could feel his breath rolling off her softly as he continued to sleep. One of Calanthe’s hands was still in Eist’s hair while the other had drifted to rest against his cheek. One of Eist’s arms was wrapped around her hips while his other was stretched upward, lying on the bed as he laid on his side. Calanthe yawned as she gently pulled her hands from Eist and sat up with her back pressed against the headboard.

Calanthe took a few moments to blink the sleep from her eyes as she yawned again. Today was the day of the banquet, and a part of her wanted to crawl under the covers and not come out until tomorrow. She wanted to celebrate, but was nervous, so nervous that she was afraid she would not be able to enjoy the day. The baby was still healthy inside of her, and she was further along now than she was when she miscarried, but that did not change the fact that her last miscarriage took place the day of the banquet that was supposed to announce her last pregnancy. Calanthe took a deep breath and rested her back against the headboard as she glanced outside through the open window covers. The sun was rising, and she could hear birds chirping in the distance. In a few hours the guests would slowly begin to arrive.

Eist stirred beside Calanthe as he rolled onto his back and stretched. Calanthe stayed silent as she turned her gaze to him. His hair was growing longer and for now he had stopped slicking it back, leaving his hair to fall in a mixture of loose curls and waves. Eist sat himself on his elbows then and turned towards her.

“Good morning.” Eist said as he smiled and quickly crawled up the bed to press a kiss to her lips.

“Good morning to you too.” Calanthe whispered when he pulled away from her to kiss her stomach.

“And how late did you stay up last night?”

“Not much later than you.” Eist said as he laced his fingers with Calanthe’s and brought her hand to his lips to kiss it.

A knock sounded at their door then.

“We’re awake. Have breakfast brought up.” Eist called out before Yuri had the chance to ask.

\--

Calanthe and Eist stayed in their chambers after eating, busying themselves with a game of chess. When the eleventh morning bell sounded, Eist sighed and got to his feet.

“Well I had better be on my way and get to the harbor. Crach and Bran will be arriving soon.” Eist said as he began to pull on his boots.

Calanthe felt her face fall as a wave of tension hit her while a lump formed in her throat. Eist had been at the harbor when her miscarriage started. Tears came to her eyes and Calanthe swallowed hard. In truth Calanthe did not want to be apart from Eist, not today. Not when she was worried what this day could bring.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Eist asked as he finished tying his boots.

Calanthe looked into Eist’s eyes as he smiled softly down at her before getting on his knees in.

“Everything is going to be alright; I promise.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Come on, come with me and get some fresh air.”

\--

“You’re glowing.” Eist whispered as they stood outside the banquet hall, waiting for the doors to be opened and the herald to announce their arrival.

Calanthe smirked and then fidgeted where she stood.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked.

“I’m in the mood for pickles again.” Calanthe huffed.

“I’ll give you a pickle tonight.”

Calanthe burst out laughing, causing one of the guards that stood nearby to jump. Leave it to her husband to seize the opportunity at making an inappropriate joke.

“Darling, you deserve much more credit than that. I would say it’s much more comparable to a cucumber but have it your way.”

Calanthe glanced over to Eist in time to see him raise his brow at her and smirk just before the doors were opened for them and their arrival announced.

\--

The announcement went without a hitch, and Calanthe was impressed with how well Eist did. He had insisted on announcing it before the evening meal was served. Now that the evening meal was over and dessert was being set out, the guests began to mill around to talk and dance. Guests also slowly began to make their way up towards the high table where Calanthe and Eist sat to give their congratulations.

Calanthe heard Eist groan before she saw the reason that caused it. Lord Hilqvuest was making his way towards them as he stopped and talked to other guests along the way.

“Who invited him?” Eist asked.

“Darling, you know he must be invited.” Calanthe said as she looked over at Eist. “We cannot selectively invite lords and nobles to these banquets. Gods, if even one of them felt left out it could cause a rebellion. Just let me do the talking.”

“Your Majesties.” Hilqvuest said when he reached their table, bowing as he did. “This is, as always, a splendid banquet.”

Calanthe only nodded in response as she gave a tight-lipped smile.

“And congratulations. I pray you have a healthy son.”

Eist tensed beside Calanthe and she could see out of the corner of her eye that he sat up from where he was resting back against his seat. Calanthe quickly reached her hand under the table, rested it on Eist’s thigh, and firmly pressed down.

“And what if I do not have a son, Lord Hilqvuest?” Calanthe asked through gritted teeth and a smile that was quickly becoming harder to fake.

“Well, there are rumors that the Riannon bloodline is cursed to only produce female heirs. I guess they would be correct.”

“And you believe such nonsense?” Calanthe asked.

She didn’t have to look at Eist to know he was ready to reach across the table and strangle Hilqvuest.

“Of course not, your Majesty. I only say what I hear. Cintran princesses are just so common these days.” Hilqvuest said as he bowed.

Calanthe felt Eist gently pick up her hand and remove it from his thigh before standing abruptly. It was enough to startle Hilqvuest, who stumbled as he backed away.

“Let me throw him in the gate keep.” Eist said as he sat back down.

Calanthe laughed lightly, despite the fact that what Hilqvuest said had hit a nerve. She had heard rumors for years that her bloodline was cursed, making her unable to bear a son.

“We cannot arrest a lord without reason.” Calanthe said quietly as she cleared her throat.

“There is plenty of reason. He is disrespectful and bigoted…”

“And those are not reasons to throw a lord in the gatekeep.” Calanthe interrupted. “I know you are angry but let’s not let him spoil our night.” Calanthe said as she took Eist’s hand under the table and squeezed it.

“Alright.” Eist said as he looked at her and grinned while he squeezed her hand in return.

She could tell that he was not entirely convinced.

\--

“Congratulations, your Majesty.” Vissegerd said as he took to his knee to bow when Calanthe, Eist, and Ciri entered the training yard. Vissegerd took her hand and kissed the back of it gently before rising again. He had been at the banquet the night before and had congratulated her then, but Calanthe knew the Marshal well. He would congratulate her multiple times over before stopping. “Here to train the little lion cub, your Majesty?” Vissegerd ask as he smiled down at Ciri.

Calanthe raised her brow. “How did you know?”

Vissegerd laughed as he walked towards the storage room. “I found her little sword the other day, and there is no one else in the palace that it would belong too.”

While Calanthe took Ciri to the target to begin her warmup, Calanthe heard Vissegerd say to Eist, “Care for a round, your Majesty?”

It did not take long for Ciri to become distracted. After making a particularly powerful strike against the target and in turn dropping her sword, Ciri turned to pick it up and became enthralled in watching Eist and Vissegerd spar. Neither man was holding back and while they were using dulled blades, the sound of their swords clashing was still just as loud and powerful.

Ciri walked to Calanthe, watching them as she asked, “Will Vissegerd beat Grandpapa?”

Calanthe smirked. Vissegerd was certainly a formidable opponent indeed. “He just may if your Grandfather is not careful.” Calanthe said lightly.

“How did Vissegerd become so good?” Ciri asked in awe.

Calanthe took Ciri’s hand as she led her to a nearby bench. Her back was beginning to hurt and perhaps sitting would give her some relief.

“Vissegerd has been a swordsman for a very long time, little cub.” Calanthe said as she patted the spot beside her on the bench. “He served your other Grandfather, first as a squire, and then as a knight before I became Queen. Vissegerd was the first knight to pledge his oath to me and fought by my side at the battle of Hochebuz. I would not be here without him.”

Ciri turned her head to look at Calanthe. “Not be here?”

“A Nazairian soldier had kicked me to the ground. He lifted his sword over his head to strike me and as he did, Vissegerd blocked his blow and killed him.”

“You almost died?” Ciri asked.

The concept of death was not something Ciri yet understood. Calanthe knew that it scared and mystified her. Ciri was lucky, she had no reason to understand what death meant yet, nor how final it was.

Calanthe smiled softly as she put her arm around Ciri and pulled her close. “Almost.”

Ciri looked away to look back at Eist and Vissegerd, just as Eist whapped him across the arm with the flat side of his blade. Vissegerd grunted for a moment before cutting his blade down and smacking Eist on the side of his shin, also with the flat edge of his blade. Both men lowered their swords then and burst into laughter.

“It seems you have lost an arm.” Eist said jokingly as he caught his breath.

“That may be, your Majesty, but at least I still have both legs.”

“Fair point.” Eist said as he clasped Vissegerd on the back while they made their way to where Calanthe and Ciri were sitting.

“Who won?” Ciri asked as she bounced on the bench.

“I did.”

Calanthe snorted back laughter as both men responded in unison while Ciri scrunched her face in confusion.

“Care to show me what you’ve learned so far, your Highness?” Vissegerd asked as he held his hand out to Ciri.

Ciri stood and picked up her wooden sword before sprinting to the center of the training yard. Calanthe watched as Ciri took turns swinging at Eist and Vissegerd while both men took turns dramatically falling down.

\--

Calanthe woke before Eist again the following morning. Calanthe sighed, smiling as she ran her hands through Eist’s hair. He had fallen asleep with his head beside her stomach again.

Several dresses were set to arrive today from Ziven Ozol’s atelier, made to fit Calanthe’s quickly growing stomach, as well as many pieces of various fabrics in different colors to swaddle the baby. Calanthe rose from bed carefully and pulled on her robe before heading to her dressing room. There were several wardrobes and dressers, all full of clothing and it had been a long time since she had gone through them all.

“What are you doing?” Eist asked sleepily.

Calanthe looked up from the set of drawers she was sorting through to see Eist standing shirtless in a pair of linen shorts, rubbing his eyes, with his hair sticking out all over the place.

“Making room for you.” Calanthe said as she pulled out her leather pants and held them up, refolded them, and set them aside.

“You’re not getting rid of those, are you?” Eist asked as his eyes went wide.

Calanthe laughed. “No, that’s the keep pile, Darling.”

\--

After Eist was able to move his clothing to the dressing room, they made quick work the following day on changing the setup of the spare bedchamber. The bed was removed and put into storage, giving room for the cradle that was passed down through Calanthe’s family to be brought up. It was heavy, so heavy that it took four servants to bring it to the bedchamber. Calanthe smiled as she ran her hands over the wood, thinking back on all the times that she lifted Pavetta and Ciri from the cradle to hold them in her arms. The bronze lionhead that was embedded into the wood at the very top shone brightly with its recent polish.

“You know what would look nice in here?” Calanthe asked Eist as she folded the last of the swaddling fabric.

“What’s that?” Eist asked in return as he set the iron fireguard in front of the fireplace.

Calanthe stood and silently left the room and made her way to their bedchamber to open her bedside table drawer. After pushing several things aside, she carefully pulled out the drawing that Eist had given her of her ring design. She returned to the spare bedchamber and handed it to Eist.

“We will have to get it framed of course.” Calanthe said as she sat down.

When Calanthe looked at Eist, she was surprised to see tears in his eyes as he stared down at the drawing in his hands.

“You kept this?” Eist asked.

“Of course, I kept it.” Calanthe said. “Maybe you could draw more, if you’d like and we could hang them…”

Calanthe was cut off as Eist set the drawing aside and pressed a searing kiss to her lips as he wrapped his arms around her.

\--

Calanthe was well aware Eist found her attractive, he told her as much every day and showed her at night, and often in the mornings as well. It was different now that she was pregnant though. Eist seemed almost fascinated by her. While Calanthe would look in the mirror and sigh as the figure she worked hard to maintain slowly disappeared day by day, Eist would wrap his arms around her and tell her every single thing he found beautiful about her.

As Calanthe neared the last stages of her pregnancy, she became increasingly miserable. It was becoming nearly impossible for Calanthe to walk now without waddling. Sleeping with Eist was also becoming frustratingly difficult. He was patient, and often burst into laughter as they tried position after position until Calanthe was comfortable. The act of sleeping itself was also now a challenge as Calanthe found that no matter how she laid, she was never comfortable.

One night, Calanthe found herself in so much pain that she could not fall asleep, despite how tired she was. After hours of tossing and turning while Eist slept soundly beside her, Calanthe finally burst into tears out of frustration. The pain was growing more and more intense as her hips stiffened while stabs of pain radiated through her lower back. She was on her side, facing away from Eist as she put her head in her hands. When she felt Eist’s arms around her, pangs of guilt ran through her, only making her cry harder. She had not meant to wake him.

“My love, what’s wrong?” Eist asked as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

She could hear the panic in his voice, even though his voice was still full of sleep.

“It’s my back. I can’t get comfortable. And I’m exhausted and I’m in pain and I want to scream!” Calanthe blurted out as she continued to sob.

She felt ridiculous in a way, but she couldn’t help it. Until now Calanthe thought she had handled her pregnancy well, but it was beginning to take its toll on her. And then suddenly Eist was gone and climbing out of bed. For a moment she laid there as she closed her eyes while another stab of pain went through her back. After another few moments, she took a few breaths and realized that Eist was putting clothes on.

“Where are you going?” Calanthe asked through gritted teeth.

Eist was around to her side of the bed then and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be right back, I promise.”

Just that fast Eist was gone and she heard their bedchamber door shut behind him. She wanted to get up to follow him but didn’t have the strength. Instead she laid there, for what felt like an eternity as she rolled to her back, only to have a wave of pain shoot through her again. Calanthe quickly turned to her opposite side as more tears began to fall from her eyes.

Eist was back them, carrying a glass jar full of a cream-colored substance. She heard him by the fire as she took several breaths in an attempt to calm herself.

“Can you stand?” Eist asked.

“What?” Calanthe asked.

Eist’s hands were around her, pulling her gently to the edge of the bed. He guided her to turn towards him while he pulled her legs off the bed. Calanthe did not know what he was doing, but in that moment, she considered slapping Eist across the face.

“Please just let me be.” Calanthe said weakly.

Calanthe almost burst into tears again when Eist put his arms under her and lifted her to her feet. Pain shot through her back, through her buttocks, and down her legs.

“Just come right over here.” Eist said softly as he half guided, half carried her to an armless chair in front of the fire. When Calanthe reached it, Eist had her straddle the chair as she sat. She was in too much pain to protest. “Lean forward.” Eist said as he gently pressed on her upper back, prompting her to lean over the chair.

Calanthe was facing away from the fire so that the heat was against her back. The warmth was soothing, and Calanthe felt the pain ease, just slightly. At that moment, Calanthe felt hot liquid dribble over her back. She yelped, not out of pain, but out of surprise.

“Is it too hot?” Eist asked.

“No.” Calanthe said.

“Where does it hurt the most?” Eist asked as he pressed his hands against her back, massaging it gently.

“Lower. What did you put on my back?”

“Shea butter. It becomes an oil if it’s melted down. I thought the heat from it would help while I give you a massage.”

Calanthe felt tears well in her eyes again, but this time not from pain. Eist had left, in the middle of the night, and no doubt barged into Mousesack’s chambers to find shea butter to give her a massage. His hands felt wonderful as he pressed them into her back and slowly her pain began to fade away. After a few moments, Calanthe let out a loud groan.

“Does it hurt?” Eist asked as he stopped moving is hands.

“No, it feels wonderful.” Calanthe whispered.

Calanthe adjusted herself against the seat and began to drift in and out of sleep. She was not sure how much time had passed, but Eist worked his hands up her back, over her shoulders, and then back down again. Eventually Eist guided her back to the bed. Just when Calanthe thought it was over, he had her lay on her side. Calanthe closed her eyes and then felt the oil again and groaned when Eist massaged her buttocks, her thighs, and down her legs.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered when he moved his hands to her hips and then her stomach and massaged gently.

“I love you too.” Eist chuckled as he leaned over to kiss her on the lips.

Calanthe drifted in and out of sleep and at one point felt Eist gently pushing a pillow underneath her stomach, instantly relieving pressure from her back. She felt him lift her leg and put a pillow in between her thighs and one in between her calf’s, relieving the pressure in her hips. Eist’s hands were against her lower back then as he rubbed more hot oil into her skin as she fell asleep.

\--

The next morning when Calanthe woke, she found Eist sitting up beside her reading reports. Calanthe smirked at the familiar site as she stretched her back, facing Eist.

“Good morning.” Eist whispered as he set the parchment that he held down and moved the pile to his bedside table.

“Good morning to you too.” Calanthe said as Eist leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“Are you feeling better today?” Eist asked as he settled himself on his side and began to rub his hand over her hip.

“I am, all thanks to you.” Calanthe whispered as she pressed her forehead to Eist’s.

Eist chuckled as he nuzzled against Calanthe and whispered. “You’re the one doing all the work, my love. I feel rather useless right now, but I will do anything to make you feel better.”

Calanthe pressed a soft kiss to Eist’s lips as she ran her hand through Eist’s hair. “I promise you, my Darling, you are anything but useless. That massage last night was wonderful.”

Calanthe’s eyes were closed, but she could feel Eist’s face lift as he smiled.

\--

“Explain to me what you want to do again?” Calanthe asked while she leaned with her elbows on the banquet table, pinching her nose.

“I want to take my Uncle to the tavern by the harbor. It will just be one night Modron, and we will not stay overnight. He’ll be a father soon. I want him to have a bit of fun over his last few weeks of freedom.”

Calanthe lifted her head to glare at Crach. “Fatherhood is not a prison sentence.”

Crach gulped as Bran cut in, “Of course it is not, but his life will change.”

Calanthe sighed. Bran was always the more reasonable one and was always good at persuading her. “And who all is going?” Calanthe asked as she leaned back in her chair and rested her hands on her stomach.

“Myself, Bran, Uncle Eist, Duny, Mousesack…” Crach rattled on until Calanthe cut him off.

“Going out for a night on the town?” Calanthe asked as she raised her brow at Mousesack.

“When were you going to tell me about this?” Pavetta asked as she turned to Duny.

“Later today.” Duny said while Pavetta swatted him on the arm.

Calanthe turned to look at Eist, who looked surprised. He didn’t seem to know anything about this. “Do you want to go? Because you know you don’t need my permission if you do.”

Eist shrugged. “I guess.”

Before Eist could speak again, Crach spoke up. “It’s settled then. We’ll go this Friday. We will have a good time Uncle; I’ll see to that.”

\--

“I don’t have to go.” Eist said as he and Calanthe made their way back to their chambers.

Calanthe chuckled. “I know, but I think you should. You will have fun, and Bran is right. Your life will change after this. Besides, someone is going to have to keep the rest of them in line.”

Eist only laughed in response.

\--

Calanthe sighed as Eist rubbed her back with the melted shea butter. He was set to leave soon to meet with Crach to head down to the tavern, but he had insisted on rubbing her back before he left.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I can just tell them that I’m needed here.”

“You bloody well better go. I need a night without you.” Calanthe joked as Eist finished.

“Careful, or you just might hurt my feelings.” Eist joked back as he helped Calanthe stand from the chair she was leaning on.

Once Calanthe was situated in bed, she waited for Eist to pull the covers over her before she took his face with her hands and ran her thumbs along his beard covered jaw.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered.

“I love you too.”

Calanthe smiled. “Have fun, Darling. And don’t get into too much trouble.”

Eist grinned, “If you need me…”

“I’ll send a guard for you at once.”

Calanthe smiled again as Eist pressed one final kiss to her lips before leaving. After he was gone, Calanthe settled herself into bed, picked up the book on her bedside table and began to read.

\--

Calanthe woke suddenly, having dosed off while she read. She was not sure how late it was. Calanthe blinked heavily as the room came back into focus while she sat herself up a little higher on the pillows. Her back was sore, so she rolled herself to her side as she yawned and looked around the room. Eist was not home yet.

After rising out of bed, Calanthe made her way to the privy and then stopped on her way back to her bed to see where the moon was in the sky. It appeared to be well after midnight. Calanthe sighed as she returned to bed, propped herself high up against her pillows, and began to read again.

\--

Calanthe had just finished the tenth chapter of her book when the door opened to their chambers. Calanthe tossed her book aside as she saw Eist stumble towards their bedchamber, and promptly walk into a chair. When he ran into it, for a moment he looked irritated, but then quickly burst into laughter.

“Shh!”

Calanthe’s ears perked up. Someone else was with Eist, but she couldn’t make out who it was, at least not until he burst into laughter as well. Mousesack came into view then and ran into the same chair that Eist had. Calanthe sighed. They were both drunk. Eist walked into the bedchamber then and saw Calanthe. He didn’t look happy to see her though, instead he looked confused.

“Eist?” His name was a question as she sat up a little higher in bed. “Why don’t you come to bed?”

Eist grinned as he walked towards her, straight into their bed and tumbled over slightly.

“Who put that there?” Eist mumbled as he stumbled before walking around the bed.

Calanthe patted the bed when Eist reached her. “Come on, Darling.”

“You are very beautiful.” Eist said when he reached her. He leaned down and Calanthe thought he was going to kiss her, however he stopped inches above her lips and hovered over her for a moment before standing back up. “But I’m married.”

Calanthe stared up at Eist as he pulled away from her and it took a lot of restraint to stop herself from bursting into laughter. He was so drunk that he didn’t recognize her.

“Wait.” Mousesack said. He had stumbled into their room at some point and was now sitting on a chair in the corner. “I think that’s your wife.”

Eist turned suddenly and focused hard on Calanthe, who snorted back laughter as he studied her face. She knew exactly what to say, and just how to say it so he would recognize her. “Eist Tuirseach, I am going to kick your ass the whole way back to Skellige if you don’t get into bed this instant!”

“Calanthe!” Eist said all too happily. Her threat was lost on him, and Calanthe found herself smiling at how happy he was once he realized that it was her. “I missed you!” Eist said as he made his way back to her.

“I missed you too. How much did you have to drink exactly?” Calanthe asked when Eist reached her.

Mousesack sat laughing in the corner. “There was beer, and then vodka, and then beer, and then more vodka!”

“Great.” Calanthe muttered.

Luckily, Calanthe had chosen to wear her robe in bed that night.

“I did that.” Eist whispered, pointing at Calanthe’s stomach while looking at Mousesack as she walked in between them to head towards the door.

“Yes, you did Darling and you should be very proud of yourself.” Calanthe said, patting Eist on the chest as she shook her head.

At the very least, Eist was a happy drunk who was turning out to be rather entertaining for her. Calanthe brought one of the guards in to get Mousesack to escort him to his chambers. After Mousesack was gone, Calanthe turned back to Eist, who was now sitting on the floor and fumbling as he attempted to pull off his boots. Calanthe sighed as she leaned over as much as she could and began to tug. Eventually she pulled them both off and managed to make Eist fall backwards in the process. After he spent several minutes laughing, Calanthe managed to convince Eist to sit on the edge of the bed so she could remove the rest of his clothes.

“I’m tired.” Eist mumbled through a yawn after she pulled off his doublet and shirt and tossed them to the side.

“Lay back.” Calanthe said. Eist however did not lay back and instead stared straight ahead for a few moments with an adorable smirk on his face.

Calanthe sighed and pressed lightly on his chest. He was so far gone that he did not attempt to resist and instead fell onto his back against the mattress while laughing again. Calanthe held back her own laughter as she untied his pants and then proceeded to pull them off of him. In all the years they had known each other, she had never seen him properly drunk.

“In the mood for a little hanky panky?”

Calanthe looked up to see Eist grinning like a fool as he lifted his head off the bed and looked down at her.

“A little hank… What are you talking about?” Calanthe asked as she pulled his pants off.

“You’re taking my pants off, my beautiful wife.” Eist said as he winked at her.

Calanthe chuckled. “Maybe tomorrow, but for right now you need to get some sleep.”

Eist sighed heavily as he laid back down. Calanthe meanwhile crossed the room to the jug of water and filled a mule to the brim before returning to Eist.

“Come on, Darling. Get under the covers.”

Eist only groaned in response. Calanthe pursed her lips to suppress her laughter as she put her hands on her hips.

“Do not make me drag you up here.”

Eist craned his neck again to look up at where Calanthe was standing by his bedside table and grinned before crawling up the bed. Calanthe sighed softly as she began to tuck him in.

“Here, drink this.” Calanthe said as she handed the mule to Eist.

“Is this vodka?” Eist asked as he stared at the mule.

“No, it’s water.”

“Then I’m not drinking it.”

“Eist…”

“Fine.” Eist said, cutting her off before chugging the mule of water.

Calanthe stood and crossed the room to pick up the jug and returned to Eist to refill his mule. After she filled it, Calanthe went to the guards outside their chambers to request that two more jugs of water be brought up and left in the sitting room, knowing full well Eist would be dehydrated in the morning. When Calanthe returned, she shut the door before going to the privy and grabbing two basins, one to put on Eist’s bedside table, and the other to put on the floor beside Eist. When she returned to Eist with the basins, she found him lightly sipping at his mule.

“Make sure you drink all of that.”

“But what if I’m not thirsty?”

Calanthe looked up at Eist as she leaned over slightly to set the basin on the floor. “Drink it. You’ll thank me in the morning.”

Eist sighed and quickly drank the rest of the water before setting the mule on his bedside table. He yawned as he stretched his legs under the covers and settled down against the pillows while Calanthe crossed the room again, this time bringing the jug of water with her to fill Eist’s mule again in case he was thirsty in the middle of the night. She smiled as she glanced over at Eist after she set the mule down. He had curled onto his side and already passed out. Calanthe made her way to the bed, climbed in beside him, pressed a kiss to his forehead and quickly fell asleep.

-

Calanthe woke early the next morning, despite how tired she felt. After blinking the sleep from her eyes and stretching, Calanthe climbed out of bed and made her way around to Eist’s side. Both basins were still empty, his water mule still full, and Eist was still fast asleep. The fire had faded in the night and Calanthe decided against starting it up again. The room had a slight chill, but she was more concerned with the headache that Eist was sure to wake with. A loud knock rang out at the door to their chambers then, startling Calanthe as she looked over at Eist to see if it woke him. She sighed a sigh of relief to see he was still asleep before leaving the bedchamber door open ajar and checking to see who was at their door.

It was Pavetta, who was standing with her arms crossed. “Did Eist come home drunk last night, or was it just Duny?” Pavetta asked as she walked past Calanthe into the sitting room.

“Shh.” Calanthe said as she motioned towards the bedchamber door. “Eist is still sleeping. And yes, he came home drunk last night, as did Mousesack.”

Pavetta sighed. “It was funny in a way, he attempted to sneak into our chambers but did not realize I was watching the whole time from the sofa.”

Calanthe chuckled as she made her way to the couch and sat down slowly.

“Did Eist do anything entertaining when he arrived back?” Pavetta asked as she sat across from her.

“Oh yes. Let’s see, he walked into several pieces of furniture. And he laughed at everything, which was quite funny. Oh, and when I undressed him, he asked if I was in the mood for some hanky panky. I’m going to have fun with that later.”

“Hanky panky? What on the Continent is that?”

Calanthe eyed Pavetta for a moment until she understood.

“Is that what they call it on Skellige?”

“No, it certainly is not.” Calanthe said through a fit of laughter. “How is Duny this morning by the way?”

“Sick as a dog. He vomited all over the bed and is now lying on the cold floor, insisting it is the only thing that feels good right now. What about Eist?”

“He hasn’t woken yet…”

Just as Calanthe said the words, she heard Eist stir in their bedchamber.

“Oh God’s.” Eist groaned, his voice faint.

“I’d better get in there.” Calanthe said as she went to stand and smiled when Pavetta quickly came to her side to help her up.

She heard Pavetta shut the door to their chambers behind her as Calanthe opened and shut their bedchamber door as quickly as possible to try to avoid any light from bothering Eist. Her eyes quickly adjusted in the dark as she made her way to Eist’s side of the bed and picked up a basin as he lurched upward. Calanthe held out the basin just in time as he vomited into it. She winced and looked away for a moment until she heard him stop. Calanthe placed her hand on Eist’s shoulder to steady him while she balanced the basin in her other until she was able to set it carefully on the bedside table. She picked up the mule of water then and handed it to Eist.

“Here, drink this.”

Eist did not protest like he did last night, but instead quickly drank it. To her surprise, when he was finished Eist attempted to stand.

“Woah, where do you think you’re going?” Calanthe asked as she put her arm around him as he stumbled.

“Privy.” Eist said weakly.

After guiding Eist to and from the privy, Calanthe took the basin and emptied its contents before returning to Eist as he rested himself against the headboard.

“What time is it?” Eist asked quietly as he took a deep breath.

“The twelfth bell rang not too long ago.” Calanthe said as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Eist ran his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Calanthe asked as he rested her hand on his knee.

“You’re in no condition to deal with me like this.”

Calanthe sighed to herself, knowing full well Eist was racking himself with guilt. “I’m only carrying a child, Eist. I may waddle, but I am still capable of quite a lot.”

Eist laughed lightly with his eyes closed, bringing a smile to Calanthe’s face.

“Besides, you seemed like you had a good time last night. You were rather entertaining when you arrived home.”

“I don’t even remember coming back last night.” Eist groaned out before yawning.

Calanthe smiled again. “I’ll tell you all about it when you’re up to it but for now, why don’t you get some more sleep.”

“I love you.” Eist said softly as he felt Calanthe pull the covers over him.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered before pressing a kiss to his forehead just as he fell back asleep.


	29. Chapter 15A - Eist

**Chapter 15A – Eist**

**Year 1256**

The next time Eist woke, he could hear a bell tolling outside. The throbbing in his head had lessened, but he was now terribly thirsty. He blinked heavily as he turned and saw the jug of water on his bedside table. Eist sat up, filled his mule, and downed the glass of water just as the bedchamber door quietly opened.

“You’re awake.” Calanthe said softly. “Are you feeling any better?”

“Yes, I am.” Eist said as he rested his hands on Calanthe’s hips when she reached him while stroking his thumbs against her stomach. “I’m sor…”

“Don’t.” Calanthe said, cutting him off. “I told you last night that you did not need to apologize.” Eist smiled softly when Calanthe took his face in her hands and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

They stayed that way for a few moments with Eist holding her stomach and their foreheads pressed together. He could feel Calanthe’s eyes flutter closed when her eyelashes grazed his. He sighed softly, perfectly content on staying that way for hours. Soon however, he was pulled out of his idyllic state when his stomach growled.

“Hungry?” Calanthe whispered as she chuckled while she moved her hands to his hair.

“Very much so.” Eist whispered in return as he tilted his head back to look up at her.

“Good, because our evening meal should be here soon.” Calanthe said as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

\--

“I did what last night?” Eist asked again before taking a bite of his chicken.

Every time she had attempted to tell Eist this part of what happened the previous night, she laughed so hard that tears fell from her eyes.

“You called it hanky panky!” Calanthe said as she burst into laughter again.

Calanthe picked up her cloth napkin and dapped her eyes while Eist smirked and shook his head. It was rare for Calanthe to laugh this hard and he was certainly enjoying it.

“Hanky panky?”

Calanthe nodded her head in response and shook with laughter.

“I don’t think I’ve ever called it that before.” Eist said out loud, wondering why on the Continent he had decided that the very intimate act of loving his wife should be called that.

“I know.” Calanthe said, gasping lightly for air as her laughing faded. “But I propose that is what we call it from now on.”

The evening passed on and soon Calanthe was eating a bowl of oranges and blueberries to satisfy her cravings while they sat on the couch and played a game of chess. Eist smirked as he watched Calanthe, whose stomach was becoming so large that she had to seat herself on the edge of the couch just to be able to look down at the chess board in front of her. While Calanthe paused for a moment as she studied the board, Eist thought back to his conversation with Elin the previous evening. Eist sighed softly, not entirely sure how to begin the conversation.

“Something happened last night that I need to tell you about.”

The look that Calanthe gave Eist was enough to tell him that he had perhaps not started the conversation in the best way possible. She stayed silent though, waiting for Eist to continue.

“I gave a woman who propositioned me 200 ducats.”

He noticed that Calanthe swallowed as her eyes widened. For a moment a look of fear and uncertainty flashed in her eyes, and once again Eist realized just how bad that sounded and that he was doing a terrible job trying to explain himself.

“She was with child. I couldn’t stomach the thought of her circling the tavern until she… found someone.”

“It’s all right.” Calanthe said.

“There’s something else though.”

“Which is?”

“I went back to her home to give her the coin, but I did not tell her who I was. For all she knows I am a lord or a nobleman with a large amount of coin to spare.”

Calanthe raised her eyebrows at that.

“I couldn’t give it to her in the tavern. If someone had seen, they would have killed her in the street to take it from her.”

Calanthe nodded. “Do you think she needs more?” She asked as she picked up a rook to move it across the board.

“She has another small child. She definitely needs more.” Eist said quietly as he pressed his fingertips together while leaning his elbows against his knees.

“Alright, I’ll have more coin delivered to her in a barrel so no one see’s it. However, she really should learn a trade or otherwise she will end find herself in the same sit…” Calanthe stopped suddenly as she waved Eist over to sit beside her.

Eist grinned as he jumped to his feet and all but threw himself over the table between them, knowing full well what was happening. When Eist sat down beside her, Calanthe quickly picked up his hand and placed it on top of her stomach. A few steady kicks happened then, and Eist smiled. He was enthralled at the idea of their child growing more and more every day and slowly building the strength to kick in move inside her.

“This child of yours is certainly strong.” Calanthe chuckled.

Eist smiled again as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to where his hand had been resting before capturing Calanthe’s lips in his as he wrapped his arm around her. After a few moments, Calanthe yawned as she settled back against the couch.

“Tired?” Eist asked as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

Calanthe nodded softly as she leaned against Eist.

“Let’s go to bed.” Eist whispered as he gently tugged on her waist.

Eist could not help but smile as Calanthe shifted on the couch and used the armrest to brace herself as she attempted to find the best way to stand. He gave her two chances, knowing full well that she would only wave him off if he did not let her try first. Eist quickly swooped in then and placed his hands under her arms to easily lift her to her feet. Calanthe pressed a quick kiss to Eist’s cheek when she was standing before resting her head against his shoulder as they slowly made their way to the bedchamber.

“How’s your back?” Eist asked as he guided Calanthe to sit on the bed and began to pull off her robe.

“It’s not too bad today.” Calanthe said sleepily as she climbed under the covers after her robe was gone.

After Calanthe laid on her side, Eist picked up several pillows and placed them in their usual spots: one under her stomach and two between her legs.

“What are Muire D’yaeblen?” Calanthe asked.

Eist could not help but smile. He loved hearing Calanthe speak in his native language and while she was not fluent in it enough to hold more than polite conversation, she was excellent at pronouncing what she spoke just right.

“Drowner’s, why do you ask?”

“A few attacked in Kaer Trolde. They were killed but took a few soldiers with them.”

Eist nodded. Drowner’s were horrible looking creatures with fish like features, large eyes, and vicious claws. They typically avoided vastly populated areas, preferring to attack when they could corner their prey alone and either outright kill them, or drag them into the watery depths till they drowned. However, that was not to say that they would not occasionally attack in cities such as Kaer Trolde. Eist had encountered them before and knew firsthand just how difficult they were to kill. Villages and cities across the continent often had to employ Witcher’s just to be rid of the creatures.

“Bastards. Every now and again they grow bold enough to attack despite the large population of the city. I’ll get their names and write to their families tomorrow.”

Eist sighed as he pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. He hated writing letters such as those to family members that were left behind. He could never find the right words to say, and often felt foolish knowing that despite what he did manage to say, it would not bring their loved ones back. Still, he continued to write the letters, feeling as though it was the right thing to do.

“Great.” Calanthe mumbled. “Apparently someone has decided they want to do flips in my stomach just as I want to go to sleep.”

Eist laughed as he rested his hand against her again and smiled. He felt the steady patter of hands and feet pressing against the inside of her stomach and wondered what it would be like to feel that himself. Luckily after a few moments, the movements faded and Calanthe was able to drift off to sleep. Eist watched Calanthe for a little while as he began to gently rub circles over her stomach. Eventually he laid down on his side in an attempt to fall asleep himself but soon gave up the idea. He had slept too much during the day and finding sleep now would be impossible.

Eist pressed a soft kiss to Calanthe’s forehead and stomach before climbing out of bed, throwing on his robe, and crossing the bedchamber to a nearby cabinet. He fished around for a moment until he found several pieces of blank parchment and a small box that held sticks of charcoal. After padding across the room to sit close to the fire, Eist settled down and began to draw.

Calanthe had asked that he draw more pictures for their child’s bedchamber, but he did not know where to start. After a few moments he settled on sketching several seashells before switching to a ship. He had just finished the shading on the sails when Calanthe began to stir in bed.

“Eist?” Calanthe called softly.

“I’m here.” Eist whispered as he wiped the charcoal from his hands on his robe before taking it off and tossing it over a nearby chair.

The sleepy smile on Calanthe’s face as he climbed into bed and nuzzled against her was enough to make Eist feel as though his heart would burst. He pressed a small kiss, just under her eye and heard Calanthe sigh happily in return before she fell asleep again.

\--

“You asked to see me?” Pavetta asked as she entered Eist and Calanthe’s sitting room.

Eist nodded as he motioned to Pavetta to sit. “Yes. I have a favor to ask.” Eist sat down across from Pavetta and waited for her to settle before he continued. “Do you feel you would be up to overseeing the rule of Cintra for an extended period of time after your mother gives birth?”

“Of course. For how long are you thinking?”

“I’m not sure yet. It all depends on how long I can convince your mother to take some time off for.” Eist said as he shrugged.

Pavetta laughed lightly. “So, she doesn’t know about this?”

Eist sighed. He could already see it now, Calanthe giving birth and then the next day holding court. Calanthe had insisted that Pavetta take a minimum of six months away from her duties after she gave birth to Ciri and only asked that she attended banquets, insisting that she should have all the time she wanted with her newborn daughter. Eist remembered it well, and he wanted Calanthe to have the same opportunity.

“No, she does not. I’m still trying to figure out how to persuade her.”

Pavetta nodded. “Good luck with that. My mother certainly is dutiful to say the least. Of course I will oversee Cintra for the both of you.”

“I still intend to partake in my duties.”

“Why? I have Duny, besides he was given time to spend with Ciri when she was born. You should have the same time with your child. Besides, if we need something, you’ll both be here.”

Eist furrowed his brow for a moment before a small smile crossed his face with the idea that he would get time with Calanthe and their newborn. He had always envisioned himself continuing with his duties, even after the birth of their child. Cintra was a handful to say the least though, being much more complicated with its politics and rivalries than Skellige. If Cintra was off both he and Calanthe’s hands, at least for a little while, and all he had to contend with was Skellige, then he would indeed be able to have some quality time with Calanthe and their child.

\--

“How did your training go today, Ciri?” Eist asked as he and Pavetta arrived at the banquet hall for their first meal.

“I can do a flip!” Ciri said as she bounced in her seat beside Duny.

“A flip?” Eist asked as he ruffled Ciri’s hair while passing her.

“We were working on her balance today when Ciri thought it would be a good idea to flip off the log she was standing on.” Calanthe said as she gave a pointed look at Ciri.

“Did you land on your feet?” Eist asked as he sat down beside Calanthe.

Ciri nodded while she chewed her toast.

“Good girl.” Eist said as he winked at Ciri while Calanthe playfully elbowed him in the side.

\--

The weeks now seemed to fly by, at least for Eist. Calanthe was growing ever more restless as her limitations grew and while she did not know it yet, Mousesack planned on having her go into confinement in a few weeks.

It had rained earlier that morning and Calanthe had apparently underestimated just how muddy the training yard would be. At one point, Ciri had slipped and fallen into a particularly large pile of mud, causing Eist to burst out laughing as he tried to help her stand. He fell himself though and was soon tackled by Ciri who eventually was able to stand and began to engage in a mud throwing fight. Calanthe had burst into laughter as she watched from the corner of the yard while she sat on a bench.

Eist sprinted to her, causing Calanthe to shriek.

“Don’t you dare!” Calanthe shouted as she laughed again just before Eist grabbed her face in his mud-covered hands and planted a kiss on her lips. “You are getting mud everywhere!” Calanthe said as she giggled.

“What a shame. I guess that means I’ll have to take you upstairs for a bath.” Eist whispered as he kissed her again before getting hit square in the back with a glob of mud. “I’ll be right back.” Eist whispered after pressing another kiss to Calanthe’s lips before chasing Ciri all over the training yard as they continued to fall and slide in the mud. Ciri shrieked and giggled as Eist roared at her until he eventually caught her when she slipped and fell again.

“Your mother is not going to be pleased.” Calanthe said with a laugh as Eist picked up Ciri and tossed her over his shoulder while she laughed and kicked.

“Come on pup, let’s get you back to your mother.” Eist said as he made his way over to Calanthe to help her stand.

\--

Pavetta looked equally amused and furious when Eist arrived at her chambers with Ciri still giggling from his shoulder, both dripping with mud. After carrying Ciri to the privy and finally setting her down, Eist left her with a now less than pleased Pavetta who was just now noticing how much mud was in Ciri’s hair.

Eist washed himself first and then changed the water before helping Calanthe into the tub. This time he helped Calanthe carefully climb in and first focused on washing her hair which he had managed to get mud into when he took her face in his hands. He had just finished washing her from the stool he sat on when he noticed Calanthe’s shoulders tense.

He leaned over her shoulder and pecked a kiss to her cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“I think I have to take my ring off.”

“Why is that?”

Calanthe held her hand up so Eist could see it as he scooted the stool a little closer to the tub. Eist draped his right arm over her shoulder, resting his palm above her heart while he used his left to examine her hand. Her fingers were swollen and puffy and the finger that wore her ring looked particularly red.

“I’m afraid it will have to come off, my love.” Eist said.

Calanthe sighed while Eist took his hand from her chest as he attempted to pull her ring off. After a few tugs, Eist stood and came back a moment later with a glob of shea butter on his finger.

“Let’s see if this will loosen it.”

Eist worked the butter around the ring. After that it only took a few twists and tugs and the ring was off of her finger. Eist handed the ring to her once it was off and noticed that she immediately tried to put it on her pinky. Despite her swollen fingers, the ring was still too large and immediately fell off.

“Dammit.” Calanthe muttered.

“My love, it’s alright. I’m sure it will fit perfectly fine again after you give birth.”

“That’s not the point, Eist. I never wanted to take this off. This just... means a lot to me.”

“I know.” Eist whispered as he kissed the top of her head as he continued to wash her hair.

After Calanthe’s bath, Eist found Yuri and sent her to the market in the city in search of a gold chain. That night after Calanthe fell asleep, Eist stayed up to draw for a little while. Once Calanthe was sleeping deeply, Eist took her ring that she had placed on her bedside table, put it on the chain, and carefully put it around her neck.

\--

Eist smiled from where he sat beside Calanthe on the bed. She had begun napping several times throughout the day now, especially after an exhaustive day at court like this one had been. When they were finally able to break away, Eist decided to draw for a bit after he rubbed Calanthe’s back and legs before tucking her in to sleep. He had a pile of drawings to show Calanthe for their child’s room already set a side, so there was no need to draw more for that purpose. After a few moments, he glanced over at Calanthe and then an idea came to him. He could draw her, or at least attempt to. He had attempted to draw people in the past, but that was a long time ago, and people were much more complex to draw than seashells or ships.

Eist quickly sketched out Calanthe’s form, admitting it was easy enough with most of her tucked under the covers. Afterward, he rather enjoyed leaning close to Calanthe’s face to study her while occasionally pressing soft kisses to her forehead, lips, and cheeks. Looking was not necessary, Eist had memorized his wife’s face long ago, but he still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Hours passed and he had just finished the detail on her face and was starting on drawing long, wavy lines for her hair when Calanthe stirred beside him.

“What are you drawing?” Calanthe asked softly after opening her eyes.

“It’s a surprise.” Eist whispered as he set the drawing aside and pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s lips. “However, I do have these to show you.” Eist said as he leaned over, opened his bedside table drawer, and pulled out a stack of sketches and drawings that he had done.

Calanthe carefully sat herself up as Eist handed her the drawings.

“These are wonderful, darling.” Calanthe said. Eist smiled to himself as she carefully flipped through each one. He could see the glint in her eye, she truly did like them. “What’s this?” Calanthe asked as she pulled out the very bottom sketch to get a closer look at it.

He already knew what she had scene, only he had not intended for her to see it in the first place. It was Skelligan tradition to give the mother of your child a gift after she gives birth and spent many months pondering what he should give Calanthe. Eist finally decided to give her two gifts, not being able to choose between his top two choices, a sword and a crown. The gifts were meant to be a surprise, and Calanthe had just found the initial sketch of them.

“Nothing.” Eist said as he sat up and quickly pulled it out of her hand, feeling irritated with himself that he had forgotten that he had kept the design with the rest of his drawings.

“You’re a terrible liar. What is it?”

“I said it’s nothing.” Eist said lightly after he tucked the drawing in his bedside drawer again and turned back to Calanthe to lightly kiss her on the lips.

He could see the look in her eyes that she was not convinced, but luckily dropped the subject as Eist carefully put his incomplete drawing of her in his drawer and nuzzled against her before going to sleep.

\--

Eist and Calanthe spent their night together as they usually did, cuddling in bed while reading a book. Calanthe was nestled against Eist’s shoulder as she read while Eist had his left hand resting on her stomach and his right draped over her shoulders and hooked around so he could trace lazy circles over her heart. Eist smiled when the kicking began as he immediately lost focus on their book and stared at her stomach, smiling a little wider with every kick he felt under his palm.

Once the kicking settled, Calanthe attempted to keep reading but began to nod off mid-sentence. Eist glanced over at her as she quickly lifted her head as it began to slump forward and open her eyes wider in an effort to stay awake. Eist chuckled as he reached for the book and gently took it out of her hands.

“I think it’s time for bed, my love.” Eist whispered as he set the book on his bedside table.

“Hmm.” Calanthe moaned out softly.

They both scooted lower on the bed and while Calanthe settled on her side, Eist moved even lower to press a kiss to her stomach as he always did before laying on his side.

“We should think of names.” Calanthe said softly.

Eist smirked as he settled beside her as she nuzzled her face into his neck.

Small vibrations rippled through him as he chuckled softly. “After we get some sleep, my love.”

Calanthe nodded against him. Eist pressed a kiss to her forehead as she pressed a soft kiss to his neck just before falling asleep.

\--

Eist stirred as he was suddenly pulled out of his dream and woke with a sigh, unsure as to what had woken him in the first place. It was still dark and their room was comfortable with the window covers open, letting the cool spring breeze flow through the room while the fire kept the chill at bay. Calanthe was still asleep beside him, pressed as tightly against his body as her stomach would allow with one arm and leg tossed over him. Eist shifted again as he pressed a kiss to just under Calanthe’s ear and adjusted his leg slightly to press it further in between Calanthe’s. For a moment Eist laid there, wondering why the sheet felt wet. Eist at first nestled back down, assuming he was so tired that he was imagining things until he realized what had happened.

Calanthe’s water had broken in her sleep.

Panic shot through Eist as he wondered what to do. Calanthe seemed peaceful enough and was still sleeping away. First, he thought about getting Mousesack, but remembered that Pavetta’s water had broken in the night too and she did not send for Mousesack until morning. Eist could feel his pulse and breath quicken before finally deciding to wake Calanthe.

“Calanthe.” Eist whispered as he gently shook her arm. “Wake up.”

For a few moments, Calanthe did not move and only after a few more shakes and soft whispers from Eist did she finally let out a groan.

“Is it morning already?” Calanthe asked, not opening her eyes.

“No, my love, but I… I think your water broke.” Eist said.

Calanthe opened her eyes and for a moment they went wide, but she stayed silent as she quickly pulled the blanket back and angled herself to see that the bed was indeed wet.

“Yes, darling. I believe your right.”

Eist nodded his head as he climbed out of bed. It was only after he stood that he realized he was shaking, but if it was from excitement, fear, or a mixture of both he wasn’t sure. Eist crossed the room to pick up his robe to get Mousesack but was surprised when he turned back towards the bed to see Calanthe settling herself back down.

“Are you in any pain?” Eist asked.

“No.” Calanthe said as she shook her head softly and then opened her eyes. “You don’t need to get Mousesack yet, darling.”

“But your water broke.”

“It did but the contractions haven’t started. Come back to bed. We are in for a long day, we might as well sleep while we can.”

Eist stayed where he was for a moment, but then thought back to Pavetta again. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he took his robe off and tossed it over the bed before climbing back in. He rested himself high against the pillows as his heart raced but was quickly calmed when Calanthe scooted herself to lay against him again. Eist marveled at how Calanthe simply fell back asleep, even after her water had broken, as if nothing had happened.

\--

The sound of Calanthe taking a deep breath was enough to pull Eist out of his sleep. He was not sure how much time had passed, but light was streaming through the room now and the fire had faded to embers. Eist blinked heavily as he sat up slightly and looked down. Calanthe was still laying where she had fallen asleep, but her eyes were open now and she looked as though she was concentrating.

“Has it started?”

Calanthe nodded as she looked up at Eist. “It did just a little while ago. I was thinking of having breakfast brought up.”

“You want to eat right now?” Eist asked.

“Just because I’m in labor doesn’t mean I’m not hungry.” Calanthe said, rather matter of factly.

Eist chuckled. “Alright, I’ll make you a deal. I will get you breakfast, but in turn you have to let Mousesack come have a look at you.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes sarcastically and shook her head. “Fine.”

Eist all but sprinted out of bed, quickly threw on a shirt and pants, and briskly made his way towards Mousesack’s chambers. His stomach was churning as the feelings of excitement and fear returned.

“What happened to you?” Mousesack asked when Eist burst into his chambers without knocking.

“Calanthe’s in labor.” Eist blurted out.

Mousesack chuckled. “That explains why you forgot to put shoes on. Alright, let me gather my things and I’ll be up.”

\--

Eist quickly made his way to the kitchens to have breakfast prepared and while he waited for it, he sprinted up the stairs two at a time to Pavetta and Duny’s chambers. After quickly informing Pavetta that her mother was in labor and asking her to send word to Skellige, Eist sprinted back down the stairs to retrieve their breakfast.

\--

Calanthe picked up a piece of toast and a mule of peppermint tea and began to eat while Eist paced the room. He knew he was already a nervous wreck but was trying as hard as he could to hide it.

“Darling, you really should eat.” Calanthe said.

“She’s right, your Majesty. This could be an all-day event, and once were in the middle of it there will be no time for food.”

Eist nodded as he reached for the tray of toast and took one for himself before handing the plate to Mousesack. Just as he began to eat, Eist glanced back over at Calanthe to see her wince, causing Eist to all but drop his toast as he quickly made his way over to her.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said just as Eist sat down. “Darling, this is only going to get worse you know.”

Eist sighed as Calanthe’s face relaxed. “I know.” Eist whispered as he bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Mousesack positioned a chair at the end of the bed while Calanthe finished her toast.

“I need to examine her.” Mousesack said quietly as he sat down.

Eist nodded and gently pulled Calanthe down the bed before sitting beside her and taking her hand in his. The whole process of giving birth was beginning to look horribly invasive to Eist as he watched Mousesack carefully fold the blanket up over her legs so he could examine her. When he glanced back down at Calanthe he noticed just how uncomfortable she looked. For a moment his stomach churned again and not knowing what else to do, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“Everything appears to be moving along just fine. I’ll check on you in a little while, but for now, we wait.” Mousesack said as he covered Calanthe again.

\--

Hours passed with Calanthe’s contractions growing steadily more intense. Mousesack would check on her every so often, each time stating that the Queen was still doing fine. To help pass the time, Eist retrieved the daily reports from Skellige, laid down beside Calanthe on his stomach, and read them out loud to her. She seemed to enjoy the distraction, so Eist read every letter and report in much more detail than he normally would while he held her hand so she could squeeze it when she needed too. When Eist finished reading everything he could to her, he glanced up just in time to see her face when she let out a yelp of pain.

Eist noticed out of the corner of his eye that Mousesack stood from the table he was writing at to go to the edge of the bed to examine her again.

“That one was a little painful.” Calanthe said as she took a deep breath.

“You’re about halfway there.” Mousesack said as he lowered the blanket again.

\--

Watching Calanthe’s face slowly begin to twist in pain was like hell. The first time she screamed in pain was enough for Eist to pull Mousesack into sitting room.

“Give her something for the pain.” Eist said frantically.

“I can’t.” Mousesack said. “If I give her anything it will most certainly kill the child.”

Eist took a breath as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“I know this is difficult and that you can’t bear to see her in pain, but this is normal. And it will get worse before the child is born. Childbirth is a messy, painful, bloody process. The Queen needs you to be strong. You’re her rock and if she sees you panicking, how do you think that is going to make her feel?”

Before Eist could respond, Calanthe screamed again. He was by her side in a moment, holding her hand as she squeezed it so hard, he thought she might break it.

“I love you.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

\--

Eist soon moved to rest on his knees behind Calanthe so she could sit upright against him. He switched between dabbing her brow with a damp cloth to giving her sips of water as sweat formed on her brow. Her screams still ripped through him, but he forced himself to stay calm, if only for her sake.

“I’m so nauseous.” Calanthe said weekly after another contraction faded.

Mousesack was on his feet, sprinting to the privy and returning before Eist could react. He made it back just in time and held out the basin as Eist lifted her to the edge of the bed before she vomited up her breakfast. Eist looked up at Mousesack as he held Calanthe while she heaved.

“It’s alright, your Majesty. This is not uncommon, I assure you.” Mousesack said as he spoke to Calanthe before meeting Eist’s eyes.

Eist nodded in response as he offered Calanthe a glass of water to rinse her mouth before moving her to rest against him again.

The shaking began soon after, beginning as Calanthe cried out in pain again. Eist once again looked up at Mousesack.

“You’re doing just fine, your Majesty.” Mousesack said, and Eist was immediately jealous as to how calm he was.

Calanthe was lying against Eist as he held both hands in hers. She had described what giving birth would be like, but she had not mentioned vomiting, or shaking for that matter. As the contraction faded, Eist let go of Calanthe’s hands for a moment to rub them gently up and down her arms. She screamed again, and he could see her frantically reaching for his hands. Eist pressed a kiss to the top of her head when he took his hands in hers again.

“Your Majesty, you will be able to begin pushing soon. You’re almost there.” Mousesack said as he glanced up at her.

Eist wrapped his arms under hers and pulled her against him, holding her upright so she could focus her efforts elsewhere. She wrapped her hands tight around his forearms and Eist held her even tighter to him when she slid down the bed as she let out a scream.

“I love you.” Eist whispered in her ear. “I love you. I love you and I’m so proud of you.” Eist paused for a moment as Calanthe took a deep breath. “You are doing wonderfully, my love.”

He wished he had something better to say, something, anything to stop the pain she was in.

“Eist…” Calanthe only just managed to say his name before she screamed again.

He held her tight as she began shaking again just before she screamed through another contraction.

“I just want it to stop.” She spoke so faintly that Eist almost did not hear her.

Calanthe began to cry, and that was when Eist began to feel hopeless. In every situation that had come before, he was always able to make her feel better, always able to come up with a solution to any problem she had. Here and now though, all he could do was hold her.

“It hurts so much.”

Eist wondered for a moment how much pain Calanthe was truly in. She had been wounded in battle before and had seen her wave off her injuries without batting an eye. Eist could not fathom the physical pain she was experiencing if it was reducing her to tears.

“When you feel ready, try pushing.”

“Deep breaths, my love. It’s almost over.” Eist whispered as he rocked her.

He felt as foolish about this statement as the last ones, but it was all he could think to say. Eist braced Calanthe with his arms as she took a deep breath and pushed. She pushed and pushed and despite her screams, she almost seemed to begin to feel some form of relief. She paused then, giving Eist the chance to hand her another glass of water.

Calanthe was covered in sweat as she slumped back against and was barely covered by the sheet on the bed. Eist glanced down at her and noticed that strands of hair had come undone from her braid and were now sticking to her. He brushed them away as gently as he could, first from her forehead, and then from her neck. Eist smiled when his fingers grazed the metal from her ring that she now wore around her neck, refusing to take it off even in childbirth. Her eyes were closed as she steadied her breathing, her cheeks were flushed, and her forehead shone with sweat and yet she still looked absolutely beautiful.

“Very good, your Majesty! Just a few more pushes.”

Calanthe pushed again and collapsed back into Eist.

“You’re so close, my love.” Eist whispered in her ear.

She pushed again but it only ended in the same result. All of Calanthe’s strength seemed to have been pulled out of her. Eist thought hard as to anything he could say to help her finish, anything to push her forward.

“I cannot wait to see you hold our child in your arms.”

Eist truly wanted nothing more on the Continent than to see Calanthe hold their child. That alone is what would make all of this worth it. Calanthe braced herself against Eist as she screamed and collapsed one last time.

Calanthe began to cry again, only this time it was due to the baby that was pressed against her chest. A moment later, the babe started to cry as well, but only for a moment before quickly settling into Calanthe’s chest. Just like that, and it was over. Eist was in shock, so much so that he did not notice the tears that were quickly filling his own eyes. The babe was small, pink, waxy, and was the most precious thing Eist had ever seen. He quickly and gently laid Calanthe on her back before pressing kisses over every inch of her face.

“I love you. I love you more than anything.” Eist whispered over and over.

Calanthe had been the center of his world from the moment he met her. Through the years he found happiness with her that he had not thought possible, and now she had given him a child. Eist pressed the final kiss to her lips before pulling away just enough to look into Calanthe’s eyes. The pain from earlier was gone, replaced by pure bliss. They glanced up at Mousesack then, waiting for him to announce what they both wanted to know.

“Congratulations your Majesty. You have given birth to a healthy princess.”

Everything seemed to come into focus. Eist leaned down against the bed, allowing him to get a much closer look at his daughter. _He had a daughter._ The thought was enough to bring Eist to tears again. Her little eyes were already open, but right now were focused on her mother. Eist followed his daughters gaze to see that while Calanthe still looked as blissful as ever, there was still something that was different from before. Different from a moment ago before they knew the gender of their child.

“You are absolutely amazing.” Eist whispered as he pressed more kisses to Calanthe, unable to help himself. “I love you. I love you so much.”

Eist leaned close again and smiled as he pressed a gentle kiss to their daughter’s forehead.

“And I love you, little one.”

The babe had closed her eyes but opened them, blinked heavily, and then quickly closed them again as she rested her head against Calanthe’s chest. It was hard to say whose looks she favored the most, but Eist smiled again when he noticed that she had his ears.

“She’s perfect, isn’t she?” Eist whispered as he continued to watch.

“She is.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned her head towards Eist who happily met her with another kiss.

“Your Majesty?” Mousesack said softly from where he stood beside the bed. “Would you like to share the good news? If you’d rather stay here; I can do it for you.”

Eist rose from the bed “I’ll do it.”

He felt like running through the entire castle and through every street in Cintra to announce the arrival of his daughter. Before he left the bedchamber, Eist gently pushed several pillows underneath Calanthe’s back before pressing another kiss to her lips. “I will be right back, my beautiful wife.”

\--

Every person Eist passed in the corridors, starting with the guards outside their bedchamber door, asked if they would be welcoming a new prince or princess.

“A princess.” Eist happily replied every time.

After sharing the news with Pavetta and Duny, they quickly left to head down to the kitchens to have food prepared for Eist and Calanthe before the cooks retired for the evening. Eist returned to his chambers then, but when he returned, he found Calanthe alone with their daughter and her eyes wet and swollen from crying.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been crying.” Eist asked as he rushed to her side and gently took Calanthe’s face in his hands. “Are you in pain?”

“Eist!” Calanthe said, her voice stern yet somehow light at the same time. “I’m fine, you bloody fool. I’m crying because I’m happy.”

Eist smiled as he leaned down to kiss Calanthe again. He could spend his time doing nothing but kissing her and he would be perfectly happy. Just when their lips met, the baby let out a wail. Eist leapt back, worried he had done something wrong.

“It’s not you. She’s most likely hungry.” Calanthe said as she chuckled and scooted herself to rest her back against the headboard.

Their daughter continued to cry as Eist sat on the edge of the bed while Calanthe pulled the sheet covering her chest off and laid their daughter to her breast. Eist watched in fascination when after a few moments, the babe began to enjoy her first meal and chuckled as her eyes slowly began to close as she became full.

“Do you want to hold her?” Calanthe asked when their daughter was finished.

Gods did he want to hold her, yet he was terrified at the same time. She was a small babe, a little smaller than Ciri had been and Eist was worried that if he held her wrong, he would hurt her.

“Take your shirt off. It’s good for her to lay against your skin.”

Eist was not entirely sure why his shirt should be off or why it was good for the baby, but he pulled it off anyway before lying down on top of the covers beside Calanthe and resting himself against the headboard. Calanthe then carefully lifted their daughter off of her chest and laid her against Eist’s before quickly covering her with the blanket again. Eist was in no way prepared for the sudden wave of love that he felt rush through him. He had loved their daughter before she was born but holding her himself was entirely different. Eist smiled again as tears came to his eyes when she nestled herself against him.

“This is amazing.” Eist breathed out as he pressed a gentle kiss to the babe’s forehead.

Amazing was not a strong enough word to describe just how good it felt to hold his daughter for the first time, but it was the only thing he could think to say.

“I believe you are in love, Eist Tuirseach.” Calanthe said softly.

Eist glanced over at her and smiled. “Yes, it seems this little one has already captured my heart.”

Mousesack returned then and was so quiet that Calanthe jumped when he spoke again. “Whenever you’re ready, I have drawn a bath for you and the baby, your Majesty.”

Eist frowned. He had barely had the opportunity to hold her. He was not pleased but began to lift her off of his chest anyway.

“Darling, it’s alright. Take as much time as you’d like with her.” Calanthe said softly.

Eist smiled. “She’s already asleep.” Eist whispered as he pressed her back against his chest as he kissed her forehead.

Calanthe’s hand was running through his hair then and for a while they laid there, both perfectly content with watching their daughter sleep soundly on Eist’s chest.

After a while, Eist relented and carefully handed their daughter back to Calanthe as he stood. Mousesack was asked to have the new mattress brought in while Eist slowly and carefully helped Calanthe to the privy. Eist and Calanthe first bathed their daughter together, gently washing her with fabric that was sent just for that very purpose. Afterward, Calanthe showed Eist how to put a diaper followed by how to properly swaddle her.

While Calanthe bathed, Eist sat on a nearby chair and held their daughter. She had woken again and to Eist and Calanthe’s surprise did not make a fuss but instead fell quickly back to sleep. Eist only took his eyes off of the babe in his arms long enough to glance at Calanthe and smile as she relaxed in the tub. When they returned to their bedchamber, a bassinet that would be used until the baby would sleep in her cradle was placed beside Calanthe’s side of the bed and the new mattress was in place with Yuri was replacing their bedlinens.

“Congratulations, your Majesty! Is it…”

“A princess.” Eist said before Calanthe could.

Yuri smiled. “May I see her?”

Calanthe nodded as she slowly walked towards Yuri with Eist close behind, his arm never leaving her waist.

“She’s beautiful!” Yuri whispered.

“Yes, she is.” Calanthe said softly.

“Princess Pavetta and Prince Duny are with Mousesack in the sitting room. They’ve had food brought up for you.

Calanthe glanced up at Eist and smiled softly at him just as he heard her stomach growl.

“Congratulations!” Pavetta said warmly as she stood and greeted Eist and Calanthe. “I hear I have a baby sister.”

“That you do.” Calanthe said warmly. “Would you like to hold her?”

Pavetta nodded her head excitedly as she gently took the babe from Calanthe’s arms.

Eist chuckled as they made their way towards the dining table in the sitting room. A rather large amount of food had been brought up and Mousesack had already begun eating his fill. Eist was ready to hold the babe so Calanthe could eat first, but he did not get the chance as Pavetta, Duny, and Mousesack all took chances holding her.

“Are you feeling well?” Pavetta asked Calanthe as she gently handed her sister to Duny.

“I am actually. I’m sore, but that will pass soon enough.”

“Good. I’m sorry Ciri is not here, it’s just so late and I did not want to wake her.”

“It’s alright, she can meet her in the morning.” Calanthe said as she yawned.

“Let’s get you to bed.” Eist said softly as he helped Calanthe stand.

\--

“Do you think she’s warm enough?” Eist asked.

Calanthe was lying on her side as close to the edge of the bed as she could while Eist snuggled up to her from behind, propped up on his elbow while his left arm draped over her to hold her hand. Their daughter was lying in her bassinet, swaddled in a Cintran blue cotton blanket.

“She’s plenty warm, I promise.”

“She looks like a little sausage. What if she’s wrapped too tightly?”

Calanthe chuckled. “She is fine, my darling.” Just then the babe stirred and kicked her little legs out before settling back down again. “See?”

“Fair enough.” Eist said as he chuckled before settling down and nuzzling into Calanthe’s hair and breathed deeply, taking in the scent of juniper berries that he loved so much.

“You know what we forgot to do today in the midst of all this?” Eist asked sleepily.

“What’s that?” Calanthe asked through a yawn.

“Pick out names.”

Calanthe chuckled again. “There is always tomorrow. Darling, are you sure you want to sleep this close to me?”

“Of course. Why on the Continent would I not want to?” Eist asked.

“She will wake in the night and there is no way you’ll sleep through it if your arms are around me and I need to get up.”

Eist smiled to himself, thinking back to when Calanthe had warned him about the sleepless nights that would be had if their child slept in their room.

“I have no intention of sleeping through it, my love.” Eist said sleepily as he pressed another kiss first to the back of her head, then just behind her ear, and ending at the curve of her neck before nuzzling against her. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my darling. I love you so very much.” Calanthe whispered.


	30. Chapter 15B - Calanthe

**Chapter 15B – Calanthe**

**Year 1256**

Calanthe was relaxing on the couch in the sitting room, sipping a freshly brewed mule of peppermint tea as she read over the daily reports that had arrived from Skellige earlier that day. The much-needed grain had arrived and was now being distributed throughout the Isle’s. A few Muire D’yaeblen had attacked in Kaer Trolde, managing to kill several soldiers before they were cut down. Calanthe bit her lip. While she had learned some of the native Skelligan language over the years, she was not fluent in it enough to recognize what the report was referencing. The bell began to toll just as she set the report aside, followed by the sound of blankets stirring. It took Calanthe a moment to rise off of the couch, but after she managed to, she quickly padded her way to the bedchamber.

“You’re awake. Are you feeling any better?”

“Yes, I am.” Eist said softly when Calanthe reached him. She smiled as he rested his hands on her hips and began to softly stroke his thumbs up and down against her stomach. “I’m sor…”

“Don’t.” Calanthe said, cutting him off. For the life of her she could not understand why Eist was apologizing for enjoying a night out. “I told you last night that there is no need for you to apologize.” Calanthe took Eist’s face in her hands, enjoying the smile it brought to his face as she pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

They stayed that way for a few moments with Eist holding her stomach and their foreheads pressed together. Calanthe’s eyes fluttered close and grazed his eyelashes as they did. She heard him sigh with contentment and if it wasn’t for her being on her feet, she would have been content with staying that way herself for hours. Soon however, Eist’s stomach let out a rather large growl.

“Hungry?” Calanthe chuckled as she ran her hands through his hair.

“Very much so.” Eist whispered as he tilted his head back to look up at her.

“Good, because our evening meal should be here soon.” Calanthe said as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

\--

“I said what last night?” Eist asked again before taking a bite of his chicken.

Calanthe had spent the better part of their meal attempting to explain his drunken antics from the night before. His reactions were the best part as he was rather surprised by what he had said and how he had acted.

“You called it hanky panky!”

It had taken Calanthe several times to get the words out, and each time she could barely finish her sentence before laughing so hard that she couldn’t speak because she was crying. She picked up her cloth napkin and dabbed her eyes as Eist stared at her incredulously.

“Hanky panky?”

Calanthe shook as she laughed, unable to keep her eyes open while she nodded her head.

“I don’t think I’ve ever called it that before.”

“I know.” Calanthe said, gasping lightly for air as her laughing faded. “But I propose that is what we call it from now on.”

The evening passed on and soon Calanthe was eating a bowl of oranges and blueberries to satisfy her cravings while they played a game of chess. Calanthe sat on the very edge of the couch and paused to study the board, trying to decide her next move.

“Something happened last night that I need to tell you about.” Eist said as he sighed.

Calanthe glanced up at him, her brow furrowed. That did not sound exactly promising and was not an ideal way to start a conversation. Calanthe stayed silent though, waiting for Eist to continue.

“I gave a woman who propositioned me 200 ducats.”

Calanthe swallowed, this was not something she ever expected to come out of his mouth.

“She was with child. I couldn’t stomach the thought of her circling the tavern until she… found someone.”

“It’s all right.” Calanthe said.

Of course Eist managed to come across a woman with child in a tavern, and of course he would give her coin to help her.

“There’s something else though.”

“Which is?”

“I went back to her home to give her the coin, but I did not tell her who I was. For all she knows I am a lord or a nobleman with a large amount of coin to spare.”

Calanthe raised her eyebrows at that.

“I could not give it to her in the tavern. If someone had seen, they would killed her in the street to take it from her.”

Calanthe nodded. She had only visited a tavern once in her life, and it was when she snuck out of the palace when her cousin Meve had come to Cintra to visit while they were both young, and still princesses. They had gone in disguise and without guards, and Calanthe remembered just how brutish and violent men had the potential to be towards women that they perceived as vulnerable.

“Do you think she needs more?” Calanthe asked as she picked up a rook to move it across the board.

“She has another small child. She definitely needs more.” Eist said quietly as he pressed his fingertips together while leaning his elbows against his knees.

Calanthe brought her left hand to rest on her stomach. She had experienced a lot of things in her life, but poverty was not one of them. She could not imagine what it would be like to have a small child with another on the way and not know where her next meal would be coming from. That was one of the differences between her and Eist, and perhaps the biggest. Calanthe was raised with immense wealth and status, and never wanted for anything, least not material possessions and food. Eist was not born into this life though and slipped in and out of it, depending on when his clan held the ruling status over Skellige and when it did not.

“Alright, I’ll have more coin delivered to her in a barrel so no one see’s it. However, she really should learn a trade or otherwise she will find herself in the same sit…” Calanthe stopped suddenly as she waved Eist over to sit beside her.

The baby had begun to stir and was now kicking its feet against Calanthe’s stomach. Eist jumped to his feet and came to sit beside her quickly, allowing her to take his hand and place it on the spot where the kicking was occurring, right at the very top.

“This child of yours is certainly strong.” Calanthe chuckled.

Eist smiled as he first leaned down to press a kiss to where his hand had been resting on her stomach before capturing Calanthe’s lips with his as he wrapped his arm around her. After a few moments, Calanthe yawned as she settled back against the couch.

“Tired?” Eist asked as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple.

Calanthe nodded softly as she leaned against Eist.

“Let’s go to bed.” Eist whispered as he gently tugged on her waist.

Calanthe nodded again as she opened her eyes and shifted herself on the couch to stand. After two times of bracing her hand on the armrest and attempting to lift herself only to fall back into the couch, Eist then quickly reached down and gently lifted her with ease. Calanthe pressed a kiss to his cheek when she was on her feet again before resting her head against his shoulder as they slowly made their way to their bedchamber.

“How’s your back?” Eist asked as he guided Calanthe to sit on the bed and began to pull off her robe.

“It’s not too bad today.” Calanthe said sleepily as she climbed under the covers after her robe was gone.

After lying on her side, Eist picked up several pillows and placed them in their usual spots: one under her stomach and two between her legs.

“What are Muire D’yaeblen?” Calanthe asked as she relaxed.

“Drowner’s, why do you ask?”

“A few attacked in Kaer Trolde. They were killed but took a few soldiers with them.”

Eist nodded. “Bastards. Every now and again they grow bold enough to attack despite the large population of the city. I’ll get their names and write to their families tomorrow.”

Just as Calanthe began to settle, she felt the kicking begin again. “Great.” Calanthe mumbled with her eyes closed as Eist climbed into bed after stripping off his clothing. “Apparently someone has decided they want to do flips in my stomach just as I want to go to sleep.”

Eist chuckled as Calanthe closed her eyes, taking a deep breath while Eist rested his hand against her stomach. Soon the movement faded allowing Calanthe to drift off to sleep.

\--

The kicking woke her again, hours later. Calanthe reached out her hand, feeling across the bed with her eyes closed in search of Eist while she felt the baby’s head press into her ribcage.

“Eist?” Calanthe called softly after she realized he was not beside her.

“I’m here.” Eist whispered.

Calanthe kept her eyes closed, but felt the mattress move, causing her to smile as Eist climbed back into bed. Eist’s nose was nuzzling against hers then as he pressed a kiss just under her eye. Despite the fist she now felt press against her stomach as their child stirred again, Calanthe sighed, feeling happiness and sleep wash over her.

\--

Calanthe stared at her hands while Eist sat on a stool outside the tub to wash her hair muddy hair. She had not noticed until now, but her hands were rather swollen, and what was more worrisome was that her ring was fitting her finger so tightly that it was beginning to hurt. Calanthe spun the ring, not wanting to take it off.

She must have tensed, because she suddenly felt Eist give her a peck on the cheek and ask, “What’s wrong?”

“I think I have to take my ring off.”

“Why is that?”

Eist must not have noticed her swollen fingers either. Calanthe held her hand up so he could see as he scooted the stool a little closer to the tub. Eist draped his right arm over her shoulder, resting his palm above her heart while he used his left to examine her hand.

“I’m afraid it will have to come off, my love.”

Calanthe sighed while Eist took his hand from her chest as he attempted to pull her ring off. After a few tugs, Eist stood and came back a moment later with a glob of shea butter on his finger.

“Let’s see if this will loosen it.”

Eist worked the butter around the ring. Afterword it only took a few twists and tugs and the ring was off of her finger. Calanthe immediately took it when Eist offered it to her, thinking she could at least wear it on her swollen pinky for now but sighed when she realized that the ring was too large for that finger.

“Dammit.” Calanthe muttered under her breath.

She had not taken the ring off since Eist gave it to her years ago and had intended on never doing so.

“My love, it’s alright. I’m sure it will fit perfectly fine again after you give birth.”

“That’s not the point, Eist. I never wanted to take this off. This just... means a lot to me.”

“I know.” Eist whispered as he kissed the top of her head as he continued to wash her hair.

The following day when Calanthe woke, she felt something around her neck. She swatted lazily at it at first and then sat up when her fingertips grazed a chain. Calanthe peered down to see her ring on a chain around her neck and smiled. It seems she would still get to wear her ring after all.

\--

“I’m absolutely exhausted.” Calanthe said through a yawn as she and Eist made their way back to their chambers.

Court had gone on for much longer than usual and near the end of it, Calanthe was ready to scream. At the first opportunity, Calanthe and Eist excused themselves from court and quickly made their way back to their chambers. Back pain was now an ever-present occurrence, as was the sharp pain that was currently running through her buttocks and down the back of her thighs. When they arrived back to their chambers, Eist began to heat up more shea butter by the fire while Calanthe stripped herself of her dress and hair comb. Soon Calanthe was lying on her side in bed, forgoing her initial starting spot of the chair by the fire. She groaned as Eist pressed his thumb into the lowest part of her back while resting his other hand on her hip after rubbing the hot oil into her skin, causing a shiver to go up her spine. Just before she fell asleep, she felt Eist’s beard graze her ear as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

When Calanthe woke again, she heard the steady sounds of charcoal gliding over parchment. The sound was relaxing, even soothing as Eist made a mixture of short, quick strokes and long strokes, occasionally blending with his finger.

“What are you drawing?” Calanthe asked softly after opening her eyes.

“It’s a surprise.” Eist whispered as he bent down and pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s lips. “However, I do have these to show you.” Eist said as he leaned over, opened his bedside table drawer, and pulled out a stack of sketches and drawings.

Calanthe carefully sat herself up as Eist handed her the drawings.

“These are wonderful, darling.”

Ships, seashells, waves crashing on a beach, flowers, daggers, and even a sword. Calanthe smiled as she flipped through them all.

“What’s this?” Calanthe asked as she pulled out a rough sketch of a crown and sword that was at the very bottom of the pile.

It was different than the others, sketched at different angles, just like her ring had been.

“Nothing.” Eist said as he sat up and quickly pulled it out of her hand.

“You’re a terrible liar. What is it?”

“I said it’s nothing.” Eist said lightly after he tucked the drawing in his bedside drawer again and turned back to Calanthe to kiss her lightly on the lips.

\--

Warm weather had returned to Cintra as spring set in, leaving only the mornings and evenings to still have a crisp chill in the air. Calanthe’s restlessness was only growing stronger as time passed and was made worse by Mousesack insisting that she not leave the palace grounds and should go into confinement. Calanthe entertained the idea, but only for six days. On the seventh she had become so miserable that Eist suggested they take a walk in the gardens to at least get some fresh air and stretch her legs.

“I don’t understand why I can’t at least swim.” Calanthe huffed as she and Eist slowly made their way around the gardens with their arms linked.

Eist chuckled. “He just doesn’t want you to be far away if you would go into labor, that’s all.”

“Yes, but it could still be weeks before this child decides to make its entrance into this world.” Calanthe said as she ran her hand over her stomach.

Eist smiled as he leaned down to press a kiss to Calanthe’s temple. “It could, unless you are further along than we realize.”

Calanthe raised her brows slightly at that. It was true that they had no idea exactly when they conceived, which made it a guessing game as to when this babe would be born. Calanthe sighed as she rested her left hand on her stomach as they continued to walk. After a few moments, and idea came to her.

“What about axe throwing?”

“Of all the things you could do right now, you choose axe throwing?” Eist asked as he chuckled.

“Why not? It is not as though anyone would be throwing them back at me.”

“I suppose. When exactly did you want to do this?” Eist asked.

Calanthe looked over at him with her eyes lit up. “Now.”

\--

Calanthe grabbed Eist by the wrist and began pulling him along, snaking her way through the gardens, back to the palace, through the corridors and courtyard, and then finally to the training yard, waddling along as quickly as she could.

When they arrived, every soldier and knight bowed, while Vissegerd took to his knee.

“Your Majesty, is everything all right?” He asked.

“It is. I’d like to use one of the targets for a bit, as long as it won’t interrupt the soldiers that is.”

Before Vissegerd could speak, Eist cut in. “Or if the soldiers could take a break, that would be even better.”

“Of course. I can have the lads take a rest so you can take any target you wish.” Vissegerd said before calling attention to the soldiers and sending them to the nearby dining hall.

“You didn’t have to have them sent away, Eist. I enjoy training with my soldiers.” Calanthe said, her voice stern but low to avoid others from overhearing.

“And you will train with them often after you have our child, but for right now I would rather not have you surrounded with soldiers that are carrying blades, even if they are dulled. Besides, they are not seasoned yet and still get knocked around quite a bit. What if one of them were pushed into you and you fell?”

“Fine.” Calanthe mumbled, still glaring at Eist but allowing her expression to slowly soften.

Eist was right, which was frustrating. She did not feel fragile, yet knew she was. Calanthe still felt like she could take on the world in a sword fight. As Eist went to the storage room for the axes, Duny approached from the south end of the training yard.

“Your Majesty.” Duny said, bowing before he sheathed his sword. “Come to observe the new recruits?”

“Unfortunately no. I’ve come to throw axes for a bit. I’m afraid if I don’t start doing something besides sitting in my chambers all day, I may go mad.”

“Axe throwing? Are you sure?” Duny asked.

“Quite.” Calanthe said pointedly as Eist walked up behind her.

“I came to see why all the soldiers were disappearing to find that yourself and the Queen came down.” Duny said, bowing lightly to Eist when he returned.

Calanthe took the two axes from Eist and made her way to a nearby wooden target with a red circle drawn in the center. For a moment she rolled her wrist with the axe in her hand. It had been a while since she had done this and still remembered Crach saying _“It’s all in the wrist”_ when he first taught her.

“Yes, the Queen is going a bit stir crazy and decided she wants to throw axes.” Eist said as Calanthe threw her first axe through the air, landing it squarely in the center of the target.

“I can hear you; you know.” Calanthe said loudly before throwing her second axe.

“We’ll leave you to it then.” Duny said, clasping Eist on the back before walking into the dining hall with Vissegerd.

Calanthe smiled as both of her axes landed in the red circle as she approached the target to retrieve them. When she began to walk back, Eist was walking towards her as she turned and threw both axes again.

“I’ll get them for you.” Eist said as he walked around her and made his way to the target to rip them out of the wood.

Calanthe threw the axes over and over until she tired while Eist watched and retrieved the axes for her between throws. When she was finished, Eist took a couple of throws himself. Calanthe smirked, there was something tantalizing about watching him. Even though his arms and shoulders were hidden by his shirt and doublet, she had his body memorized, and could visualize his muscles flexing and flowing underneath. Calanthe smiled wider when both axes landed in the center of the target, just as hers had.

\--

The night went as at usually did nowadays. Calanthe and Eist spent their time together, choosing this evening to read a book on the history of war on the Continent. They laid together in bed with Calanthe nestled against Eist’s shoulder as his right arm draped over her shoulders, tracing lazy circles with his fingertip over her heart while his left crossed over his own body to rest on her stomach. For a while there was light kicking, but while Eist stared at her stomach in fascination, Calanthe kept glancing at Eist. Tears filled her eyes when she saw just how happy he looked with each little kick that he felt under his palm.

Soon Calanthe began to nod off mid-sentence, prompting a chuckle from Eist as he gently took the book out of her hand.

“I think it’s time for bed, my love.” Eist whispered as he set the book on his bedside table.

“Hmm.” Calanthe moaned out softly.

Calanthe scooted herself a little lower on the bed as she felt Eist crawl down as well, first leaning down to press a kiss to her stomach as he always did before laying on his side. Just before she fell asleep, a thought came to her that woke her slightly. “We should think of names.” Calanthe said softly.

Calanthe waited a moment until Eist settled and then nuzzled her face into his neck.

Small vibrations rippled through him as he chuckled softly. “After we get some sleep, my love.”

Calanthe nodded against him. Eist pressed a kiss to her forehead as she pressed a soft kiss to his neck just before falling asleep.

\--

“Calanthe.” Eist whispered as he gently shook her arm. “Wake up.”

Calanthe ignored Eist at first, feeling too exhausted to open her eyes. For a moment she was annoyed. Lately he would let her sleep as long as she wished, regardless of how late it was for he knew she needed rest. Eist was persistent though as she felt him continue to gently shake her arm and whisper for her to wake. Finally, more out of frustration than anything else, Calanthe let out a groan. She felt like she had just fallen asleep.

“Is it morning already?” Calanthe asked, not opening her eyes.

“No, my love, but I… I think your water broke.” Eist said.

Calanthe opened her eyes then. It took her a second to break from her drowsiness and fully process what Eist had said. Once it did, her eyes went wide as she silently pulled the blanket off of herself and angled her head around her stomach to see that the sheet was indeed wet.

“Yes, darling. I believe your right.”

Calanthe sighed to herself as she nestled back down into bed, intent on going back to sleep. There was no need to make a fuss yet. She was exhausted and knew that a long, hard day was ahead for her and going through it without sleep would be a nightmare.

“Are you in any pain?” Eist asked as Calanthe closed her eyes.

“No.” Calanthe said as she shook her head softly and then opened her eyes again. Eist was already across the room, pulling on his robe. “You don’t need to get Mousesack yet, darling.”

“But your water broke.”

The shakiness of his voice was undeniable. While Calanthe had birthed a child before, this was entirely new to Eist. She had attempted to explain to him what to expect during the birthing process, but in the end that was nothing compared to experiencing it.

“It did but the contractions haven’t started. Come back to bed. We are in for a long day, we might as well sleep while we can.”

It took a few moments of Eist standing there, clearly pondering if he should ignore her and just go get Mousesack anyway. Soon he was climbing back into bed though but did not settle down beside her. Instead he rested against the headboard, so Calanthe nestled again into his shoulder as she turned on her side slightly so she could rest her stomach against him. After tossing her leg over him, she was comfortable and began to fall asleep as the sound of Eist’s heartbeat in her ear slowly eased.

\--

The sun was bright when Calanthe’s eyes snapped open, uncertain at first as to what woke her. She closed her eyes for a moment. Even though her back was to the windows, the room was still flooded with light. After her eyes adjusted, Calanthe stayed where she was, nestled against Eist who was still fast asleep. Calanthe thought about getting out of bed due to the fact that her stomach was growling but decided against it for now. She was so warm and comfortable against Eist that getting out of bed seemed like a sin.

Just as Calanthe closed her eyes and began to drift back to sleep, she felt it again. It was a dull, cramping feeling. It was not intense, but she was well aware of what it was. Ten minutes later, it happened again. Calanthe took a deep breath as the pain faded just as quickly as it came. She felt Eist wake then as he moved slightly before sitting up and looking down at her.

“Has it started?”

Calanthe nodded as she looked up at Eist. “It did just a little while ago. I was thinking of having breakfast brought up.”

“You want to eat now?”

“Just because I’m in labor doesn’t mean I’m not hungry.” Calanthe said, rather matter of factly.

Eist chuckled. “Alright, I’ll make you a deal. I will get you breakfast, but in turn you have to let Mousesack come have a look at you.”

She did not see the point in bothering him just yet, but she could see the look in Eist’s eyes. Despite his laugh, there was worry there.

Calanthe rolled her eyes sarcastically and shook her head. “Fine.”

Eist all but sprinted out of bed, quickly threw on a shirt and pants, and briskly made his way out of the room, without shoes no less. Calanthe sighed as she adjusted herself in bed and positioned herself higher on the pillows. After much debate, it was decided that she would give birth in their bedchamber. It was private, and the mattress would be changed after the birth. Mousesack would be the one to facilitate, as he did with Pavetta, and no one else would be present besides Eist.

Another ten minutes went by, and then the pain returned, this time just a little sharper than before. Just as the fourth contraction hit, Mousesack entered the bedchamber and thankfully looked much more calm and collected than Eist did.

“Good morning, your Majesty.” Mousesack said as Calanthe winced. “How long ago did the contractions start?”

“Less than an hour ago.” Calanthe said as the contraction faded.

\--

When Eist returned with their breakfast, he burst into their bedchamber, cheeks flushed and gasping lightly for air.

“Why are you out of breath?” Calanthe asked.

Eist took a few breaths before saying, “I was in a little bit of a hurry.” As he set the tray beside her in bed.

Calanthe smirked to herself as she picked up a piece of toast and a mule of peppermint tea off the tray. Eist no doubt ran from the kitchens back to her, and it was a minor miracle that he did not drop the tray along the way. The toast tasted good as her stomach quietly rumbled again. After closing her eyes for a moment, she looked up to see Eist pacing the room. He looked like a bundle of nerves as he walked back and forth. It was impossible to tell which emotion he was feeling the most. He looked equally excited and terrified at the same time.

“Darling, you really should eat.” Calanthe said.

“She’s right, your Majesty. This could be an all-day event, and once we are in the middle of it there will be no time for food.”

Calanthe watched Eist take a piece of toast from the tray before offering some to Mousesack. Calanthe took a sip of tea and just as she set the mule down, the pain was there again, radiating from her back to her stomach. She winced again, unable to hide the pain she was in. Eist almost dropped his remaining toast as he quickly made his way to her side.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said just as Eist sat down. “Darling, this is only going to get worse you know.”

Eist sighed. “I know.” Eist whispered as he bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Calanthe took another bite of toast as Mousesack positioned a chair at the end of the bed. When Calanthe was finished, Eist gently pulled her closer to the edge of the bed and laid her down so she was flat on her back. She had slept without clothing per usual, which now made it easier for Mousesack to examine her. Even though she was not thrilled with the idea of having her most intimate parts on full display for Mousesack, she trusted him to help her through this, and that was what mattered.

The physician who had aided her with the birth of Pavetta was famous across the Continent for his gift of birthing healthy sons. Calanthe had selected a midwife for herself, not that Roegner would have known though, for he never bothered to ask her. Instead, it was publicly announced at a feast that Roegner had selected her physician for her. It was a power move, and it took the decision away from her all together.

Roegner was not present for the birth and the physician, as renowned as he was, was not a kind man and was entirely unsympathetic as to the pain that labor caused. Several times she thought about stabbing the man after he chastised her on how loud she screamed when she pushed. Calanthe remembered lying there, terrified and alone with her legs spread wide to man she had not met before and not even entirely sure what to expect from the whole process. Her mother had not bothered to discuss childbirth with her, and her handmaidens said so many different things that she was not sure what to believe. Tears stung her eyes for a moment as she pushed the memory away, knowing full well that this time things would be different.

Calanthe took a breath, a slight lump forming in her throat as Mousesack gently folded the covers up over her legs as she spread them and closed her eyes. She smiled softly when Eist took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Everything appears to be moving along just fine. I’ll check on you in a little while, but for now, we wait.”

\--

Hours passed with Calanthe’s contractions growing steadily more intense. Mousesack would check on her every so often, each time stating that the she was still doing fine. To help pass the time, Eist retrieved the daily reports from Skellige, laid down beside Calanthe on his stomach, and read every report down to the last detail to her. Eist held her hand the entire time, allowing her to squeeze it when contractions would hit. Just as Eist finished, the strongest contraction yet hit, causing her to yelp in pain.

Mousesack stood from the table he was writing at to go to the edge of the bed to examine her again.

“That one was a little painful.” Calanthe said as she took a deep breath.

“You’re about halfway there.” Mousesack said as he lowered the blanket again.

\--

Eist was still lying beside Calanthe and holding her hand the first time she screamed. She squeezed his hand hard, so hard in fact that she thought she might break it as the pain tore through her back. When it passed, she took a deep breath and glanced over to see that Eist’s face had gone white and his eyes were wide. Before she could ask what was wrong, Eist was on his feet and shoving Mousesack into the sitting room before quickly shutting the door behind him.

Calanthe laid there, steadying her breathing as she wondered what was wrong. Was Eist sick? Was something wrong that she was not aware of? Panic started to set in and suddenly Calanthe wanted Eist with her more than anything else on the Continent. She took another deep breath to try to calm her nerves just as the pain started again, causing her to let out a scream. Suddenly Eist was by her side again and quickly took her hand. She squeezed hard just as the pain faded.

“I love you.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She still wondered why he had left, but decided his reason was not important. He was with her again, and that was what mattered.

\--

Eist had climbed behind her hours ago, resting on his knees so she could lay against him. Calanthe had vomited once and began to shake as the contractions ripped through her. Mousesack quickly assured her that this was normal, but that did not stop the sudden fear that she felt as her body shook uncontrollably.

Another scream ripped from her mouth as she frantically reached for Eist’s hands to hold. The pain was blinding, causing flashes in her vision as she attempted to focus on breathing between each contraction. Eist kissed the top of her head again, like he had dozens of times earlier that day.

“Your Majesty, you will be able to begin pushing soon. Your almost there.” Mousesack said as he glanced up at her.

Calanthe nodded as the pain came again, causing another scream. Eist left go of her hands to wrap his arms under hers and cross over her chest. She could no longer hold his hands this way, but he was holding her up, allowing her to focus her energy elsewhere. She reached up and wrapped her hands around Eist’s forearms and took a deep breath, truly enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. His arms were the one place that made her feel calm and safe. As another contraction hit, Calanthe slid forward slightly as her body wracked with pain. She felt Eist pull her even closer to him as tears pooled in her eyes. The pain was becoming too much.

“I love you.” Eist whispered in her ear.

Just as Calanthe went to respond, the pain was there again.

“I love you. I love you and I’m so proud of you.”

Tears stung Calanthe’s eyes as she took a deep breath to try to stop herself from crying.

“You are doing wonderfully, my love.”

“Eist…” Calanthe only just managed to say his name before she screamed again. Suddenly a rush of panic set in. She couldn’t quite say where it came from, or why it started in the first place. Calanthe felt entirely out of control of herself as the pain and shaking came again, and again. “I just want it to stop.” Calanthe murmured. She began to cry then, unable to stop herself. The pain was so intense that she felt like she couldn’t bear it anymore. “It hurts so much.”

Despite her pain, she could hear Eist’s faint heartbeat quicken as Mousesack gently said, “When you feel ready, try pushing.”

Calanthe took a deep breath, practically gasping for air. “Deep breaths, my love. It’s almost over.” Eist whispered as he rocked her.

Calanthe took a deep breath and pushed. It was strange, almost offering her relief, but was exhausting at the same time. Calanthe pushed again and again, and even though she could feel the baby moving in her slightly, she knew she was still nowhere near finished. She was covered in sweat as Eist handed her another glass of water that she quickly gulped down.

For a moment, Calanthe laid there, now barely covered by the sheet on the bed. She felt Eist brush his fingertips over her forehead and neck, removing the strands of hair that had come out of her braid. For a moment she felt the light weight of the ring around her neck, but it was quickly forgotten as she gathered her strength to push again.

It was a wonderous, painful, and strange sensation to feel her child being born.

“Very good, your Majesty! Just a few more pushes.”

Calanthe took a deep breath and collapsed back into Eist, feeling as though she had no strength left in her.

“You’re so close, my love.” Eist whispered in her ear.

Calanthe screamed as she pushed again and collapsed against Eist. All of her strength was gone, and Eist seemed to sense it. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before leaning down and pressing one to her temple, and then just below her ear.

“I cannot wait to see you hold our child in your arms.”

Eist had always been Calanthe’s strength and this moment was no different.

Calanthe screamed as she pushed one last time. Crying filled the air as Calanthe burst into tears when the baby was pressed quickly but gently against her chest. The babe itself only cried for a moment but calmed as it settled against her. She stared down at the little babe in her arms and then Eist was there, pressing kisses all over her face and whispering how much he loved her. After a few moments, Eist pulled away and Calanthe noticed his eyes were shining with tears. Calanthe glanced up at Mousesack, waiting for him to announce what they were waiting for.

“Congratulations your Majesty. You have given birth to a healthy princess.”

It was strange to feel pure happiness, fear, and disappointment at the same time. Calanthe clutched her daughter close to her and pressed a kiss to her forehead before looking down into her little eyes, still grey and not yet becoming their true color. How she loved her baby girl already, and her heart felt as though it would burst as she got lost in her eyes. The fear was there though, fear of the rumors that would spread like wildfire at the arrival of another princess instead of a prince. Fear that the rumors of her cursed bloodline were indeed true. The feeling of disappointment however was in herself. She had realized that she so badly wanted to give Eist a son, a little version of himself, a boy that would grow to look just like him.

“You are absolutely amazing.” Eist whispered between kisses. “I love you. I love you so much.”

Eist leaned close and she watched as his smile radiated through him as he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to their daughter’s forehead.

“And I love you, little one.”

For a moment their daughter opened her eyes, blinked heavily, and then quickly closed them again as she rested her head against Calanthe’s chest.

“She’s perfect, isn’t she?” Eist whispered as he continued to watch.

“She is.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned her head towards Eist and was happily met with another kiss.

“Your Majesty?” Mousesack said softly from where he stood beside the bed. “Would you like to share the good news? If you’d rather stay here; I can do it for you.”

Calanthe smirked as Eist stood from the bed. “I’ll do it.” Before he left, he picked up several pillows and pressed them behind Calanthe’s back. “I will be right back, my beautiful wife.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s lips and made his way from their chambers.

“How do you feel, your Majesty?” Mousesack asked once Eist was gone.

“Sore and exhausted, but otherwise I am well.” Calanthe said, not taking her eyes off of her daughter.

Calanthe ran her fingertip over her daughter’s forehead. Her skin was pink and still covered in the waxy substance from birth. She already had a full head of dark hair and when Calanthe looked closer she could see that she had Eist’s ears.

“I wish you could have seen the kings face when you both were told you gave birth to a daughter.”

Calanthe froze and felt her eyes go wide, despite the fact that she did not want them to.

“Your Majesty, are you worried that he is displeased in some way?”

Calanthe’s bottom lip trembled. Eist had always told her that he only wanted a healthy child, but what if he had only said that for her sake?

“I wanted to give him a son.” Calanthe said as her voice cracked slightly.

“I see.” Mousesack said softly. “A few months ago, the king and I were discussing all sorts of things, and the gender of the baby came up. I asked if he had a preference, what he would choose if he could wish it so.”

Calanthe gulped. “Let me guess, he wished for a son.”

Mousesack chuckled. “No, he wished for a daughter.”

Tears stung Calanthe’s eyes.

“He more than welcomed the idea of having a son, but his true heart’s desire was to have a little girl. He has quite enjoyed having a granddaughter and thought that having a daughter himself would be even better. And he is rather attached at the idea of having a little girl that looks just like her mother walking around.”

Tears feel freely from Calanthe’s eyes. Every man wanted a son. Her father had, Roegner had. She had been taught from a young age that it would be her sole duty as Queen to produce a male heir. Yet here she was with two daughters and a King who loved her all the more for it.

“You were worried he was disappointed; I could see it on your face, but I promise you he is not. The look on his face when he was told you gave birth to a daughter, it was happiness. Pure happiness.”

“Mousesack.” Calanthe called after him as he began to walk away. “Thank you, old friend.”

Calanthe smiled to Mousesack as he nodded and smiled back at her. The baby in her arms soon began to fuss as she scrunched up her face just as Eist returned. Calanthe looked up to see him clearly for the first time since the morning. His hair was wild, his clothes wrinkled and askew, his eyes sunken with exhaustion, and he wore perhaps the biggest smile she had ever seen. After a moment though, his smile quickly faded as he rushed to her side.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been crying.” Eist asked as he gently took Calanthe’s face in his hands. “Are you in pain?”

“Eist!” Calanthe said, managing to keep her voice stern even as she slightly chuckled while she spoke his name. “I’m fine, you bloody fool. I’m crying because I’m happy.”

Eist only smiled in return as he leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to her lips. The baby let out a wail then, causing Eist to jump back and Calanthe to chuckle.

“It’s not you. She’s most likely hungry.” Calanthe said as she scooted herself to rest her back against the headboard.

She felt Eist sit on the edge of the bed beside her as she angled their daughter down to her breast. It took several tries, but after a few moments, the baby finally latched. Calanthe was sore, but quickly forgot the pain as she stared down at her daughter who had gone quiet as she lazily closed her eyes and enjoyed her first meal.

“Do you want to hold her?” Calanthe asked when their daughter was finished.

Eist looked thrilled, yet equally nervous at the same time.

“Take your shirt off. It’s good for her to lay against your skin.”

Calanthe smiled as Eist looked confused but pulled his shirt off anyway before resting beside her. Calanthe then carefully lifted their daughter off of her chest and laid her against Eist’s before quickly covering her with the blanket again. Tears filled Calanthe’s eyes as she watched Eist’s face. He looked absolutely blissful as he gently pressed one hand to her little back and the other against the back of her legs. Their daughter was small, no bigger than Ciri when she was born. She looked particularly small though pressed against Eist’s chest with his huge hands resting gently against her.

“This is amazing.” Eist breathed out as he pressed a gentle kiss to the babe’s forehead.

Calanthe smiled again as a tear fell down her cheek. “I believe you are in love, Eist Tuirseach.”

Eist glanced over at her and smiled. “Yes, it seems this little one has already captured my heart.”

Mousesack returned then and was so quiet that Calanthe jumped when he spoke again. “Whenever you’re ready, I have drawn a bath for you and the baby, your Majesty.”

Calanthe nodded and then turned back to Eist. He looked downright upset as he gently began to lift their daughter off of his chest.

“Darling, it’s alright. Take as much time as you’d like with her.” Calanthe whispered as she settled herself on her side.

“She’s already asleep.” Eist whispered as he pressed her back against his chest kissed her gently on the forehead again.

Calanthe ran her hand through Eist’s hair and for a while they stayed that way, both gazing at their newborn daughter while she slept soundly on her father’s chest.

After a while, Eist carefully handed her back to Calanthe as he stood. Mousesack was asked to have the new mattress brought in while Eist slowly and carefully helped Calanthe to the privy. Calanthe and Eist first bathed their daughter together, gently washing her with fabric that was sent just for that very purpose. Afterward, Calanthe showed Eist how to put on a diaper followed by how to properly swaddle her. Calanthe smiled as she sank down into the bath and relaxed as Eist sat on a nearby chair and held their daughter, only taking his eyes off her to look up at Calanthe. When they returned to their bedchamber, a bassinet that would be used until the baby would sleep in her cradle was by Calanthe’s side of the bed and the new mattress was in place with Yuri replacing their bedlinens.

“Congratulations, your Majesty! Is it…”

“A princess.” Eist said before Calanthe could.

Yuri smiled. “May I see her?”

Calanthe nodded as she slowly walked towards Yuri with Eist close behind, his arm never leaving her waist.

“She’s beautiful!” Yuri whispered.

“Yes, she is.” Calanthe said softly as she gazed down at her daughter.

“Princess Pavetta and Prince Duny are with Mousesack in the sitting room. They’ve had food brought up for you.”

Calanthe glanced up at Eist and smiled softly at him just as her stomach growled. Neither one of them had eaten since the morning and she knew he was just as hungry as she was. They made their way to the sitting room, and Calanthe chuckled when Pavetta all but sprinted to her.

“Congratulations!” Pavetta said warmly as she looked at Calanthe and then up at Eist. “I hear I have a baby sister.”

“That you do.” Calanthe said warmly. “Would you like to hold her?”

Pavetta nodded her head excitedly as she gently took the babe from Calanthe’s arms.

Calanthe was exhausted and wide awake with adrenaline all at the same time as she sat down to eat. Enough food for a small army had been brought up, and Mousesack had already dug in. Pavetta, Duny, and Mousesack took turns holding the baby while Calanthe and Eist ate.

“Are you feeling well?” Pavetta asked Calanthe as she gently handed her sister to Duny.

“I am actually. I’m sore, but that will pass soon enough.”

“Good. I’m sorry Ciri is not here, it’s just so late and I did not want to wake her.”

“It’s alright, she can meet her in the morning.”

Calanthe yawned then as exhaustion began to take over.

“Let’s get you to bed.” Eist said softly as he helped Calanthe stand.

\--

“Do you think she’s warm enough?” Eist asked.

Calanthe smiled. She was lying on her side on the edge of the bed to be as close to her daughter as possible. Eist was pressed tightly against her with his left arm hooked over her, holding her hand. Their daughter had been placed in her bassinet and was swaddled loosely enough to let her stretch her arms and legs, but snuggly enough to keep her warm.

“She’s plenty warm, I promise.”

“She looks like a little sausage, what if she’s wrapped too tightly?” Calanthe chuckled this time. “She is fine, my darling.” Just as Calanthe spoke, the babe stirred and kicked her little legs out before settling back down again. “See?”

“Fair enough.” Eist said as he chuckled before settling down and nuzzling into Calanthe’s hair while she sighed as sleep began to wash over her.

“You know what we forgot to do today in the midst of all this?” Eist asked sleepily.

“What’s that?” Calanthe asked through a yawn.

“Pick out names.”

Calanthe chuckled again. “There is always tomorrow.” Calanthe closed her eyes, only to open them again. “Darling, are you sure you want to sleep this close to me?”

“Of course. Why on the Continent would I not want to?” Eist asked.

“She will wake in the night and there is no way you’ll sleep through it if your arms are around me and I need to get up.”

“I have no intention of sleeping through it, my love.” Eist first kissed the back of her head, then just behind her ear, ending at the curve of her neck. She smiled softly and felt a slight shiver run up her spine when his beard tickled her neck as he nuzzled against her.

“I love you.” Eist whispered.

“I love you too, my darling. I love you so very much.” Calanthe whispered just before falling asleep.


	31. Chapter 16A - Eist

**Chapter 16A – Eist**

**Year 1256**

Eist was unsure if he had ever heard a baby cry so loud in all his life when his daughter woke up screaming in the middle of her first night. As fast as he woke, Calanthe was faster as she pulled out of his arms and reached for the crying babe. Eist yawned as he sat up against the headboard while Calanthe softly shushed their daughter as she held her to her breast. Eist blinked heavily, but quickly opened his eyes wide, desperate to not fall asleep as he stared into the fire.

“You can go back to sleep.” Calanthe said softly.

He turned his gaze to her then to see her head turned towards him. Her eyes were blue and sunken and her voice heavy with exhaustion. There was no way he was going back to sleep without her.

“No, I’ll wait for you.” Eist said as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Calanthe’s shoulder. “So, how do you know when she’s full?”

Calanthe chuckled. “She’ll stop feeding, and most likely fall right back asleep.”

Eist nodded and for a while they laid there in silence, both too tired to speak.

“She certainly is hungry.” Eist whispered.

“If she is anything like you then she’ll have the appetite of a horse.”

Eist chuckled as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s temple.

“There we are.” Calanthe said softly as Eist looked down to see that their daughter was finished and had already fallen back asleep.

Soon afterward, the baby was fast asleep in her bassinet and Eist quickly resumed his position snuggled up to Calanthe as close as he could be. He waited until he heard her soft snoring and then allowed himself to fall back asleep.

\--

The next round of crying Eist heard was distinctly different than the first. It was noticeably softer, sounding almost like fussing. When Eist opened his eyes, the sun was just beginning to rise and the fire was barely flickering. For a moment he only sat up on his elbow, expecting Calanthe to get up as soon as she was not wrapped in his arms. Calanthe did not wake though and instead was still fast asleep. Eist quietly got out of bed, intending on picking the babe up and putting her in Calanthe’s arms so she could feed her. When Eist picked her up, he smelled why her cry sounded so different.

“Alright little one.” Eist whispered softly as he carried his daughter to the privy. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

It took Eist several tries to fold and wrap the fresh cloth into a diaper. Each time he failed, his daughter grew a little more impatient with him. Just when he thought he’d got it, he realized that he had managed to put it on her backwards. She began to cry and wave her little arms around as Eist began to rewrap the diaper around her.

“I know, I know. I’m not very good at this.” Eist whispered as he finished the diaper.

The babe was still crying, and her cry was steadily growing louder.

“Shh. It’s okay.” Eist whispered as he began to attempt to swaddle her, but quickly gave up and instead settled on simply wrapping the blanket around her.

She began to squirm and kick her little legs out as Eist picked her up and held her to him so her head was pressed softly against his chest. He rocked her slowly and to his surprise, she fell asleep almost instantly. Eist took a deep breath as he gazed down at her and smiled before making his way back to the bedchamber. At first Eist returned to the bassinet but decided against it. Instead he laid down carefully and kept the babe pressed against him, tummy side down, and her head turned towards Calanthe.

After Eist settled, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head which was already faintly covered with soft, dark hair that was already beginning to curl. He took his finger and held it to her open palm and traced across it lightly. Without opening her eyes, the babe wrapped her hand around the tip of Eist’s finger and held it. Eist chuckled as he leaned down and pressed another kiss to her head just as Calanthe began to stir. For a moment she laid completely still before sitting up suddenly and lurching herself towards the bassinet.

“Calanthe.” Eist called, trying to be as quiet as he could while still getting her attention.

Calanthe turned to Eist. She had begun to shake and went as white as the moon with her eyes wide and full of terror. She visibly relaxed and her eyes softened when she looked down and saw her daughter asleep against Eist’s chest.

“Oh Gods.” Calanthe breathed out as she pulled her knees to her chest under the covers and rested her head against them. “For a moment I thought she was gone.”

Guilt surged through Eist. “I’m so sorry, my love. Here, take her.”

“It’s okay.” Calanthe said, her voice muffled against the blanket. She lifted her head then and turned to Eist. She met his gaze for a moment, and Eist was relieved to see that color had quickly returned to her face and the shaking had stopped. Calanthe’s eyes trailed downward then and smiled when she looked at their daughter. “Keep her with you, at least for a bit.” Calanthe yawned and then laid down again, only this time she laid to face Eist and snuggled so she was pressed against his side with their daughters face just above hers. “She looks so peaceful and she’s holding your hand. I cannot interrupt that.”

Eist smiled as he kept his gaze turned towards Calanthe. “Still, I’m sorry I scared you.”

“It’s alright.” Calanthe breathed out again.

Calanthe lifted herself first to press a kiss to Eist’s lips, then one to the babe’s forehead before nuzzling against Eist and promptly falling back asleep.

\--

It wasn’t long before Calanthe woke again, and thankfully this time she woke with ease.

“Good morning.” Eist chuckled as Calanthe lazily kissed the side of his bicep.

“Good morning to you too.” Calanthe said as she propped herself on her elbow and pressed a kiss to Eist’s lips. “She’s still holding your hand.” Calanthe said softly when she looked down and smiled at their daughter.

Eist smiled and kissed the top of his daughter’s head before gently lifting her off of him and pressing her against Calanthe’s chest. Happiness radiated off of Calanthe as she held their daughter close to her and smiled while she pressed soft kisses over every inch of the babe’s face. Eist stood then and stretched before pulling his linen shirt over his head, and decidedly ignored how wrinkled the pants were that he had slept in.

“How about some breakfast?” Eist asked as he pulled his shoes on.

“Oh my Gods yes. I’m starving.” Calanthe said softly as she leaned against the headboard with the babe cradled in her arms.

\--

Calanthe had only asked that whatever Eist bring for them to eat, he bring a lot of it. So Eist had an entire cart filled with eggs, bacon, sausage, kedgeree, potatoes, biscuits with jam, oranges, and blueberries brought up.

“Dear Gods, how much do you think we’re going to eat?” Calanthe asked as Eist wheeled the cart into their bedchamber.

“You said you were hungry.” Eist said as he set two empty trays on the end of the bed.

Calanthe chuckled “That I did” as she shifted their daughter in her arms to lay her in her bassinet. Eist picked up a plate just as the babe began to cry again.

“Never mind.” Calanthe said softly. Eist turned to see Calanthe begin to feed her as his stomach growled. “It’s fine.” She said, looking up at him. “Eat. I’ll get mine once she’s finished.”

Eist sighed as he turned back to the cart of food. He thought for a moment and then quickly filled the plate and poured two mules of water. After loading a tray, he walked around the bed and sat in front of Calanthe. She glanced up at him and looked less than pleased as her eyes flicked from the plate of food in between them to meet his eyes. Calanthe could be downright terrifying, especially when she was hungry.

“Alright, what looks good?” Eist asked as he glanced down at the tray.

Calanthe looked at him as though she was considering ripping his throat out.

“Eist, please. My head is pounding and I’m in no mood…”

“What looks good?” Eist asked again.

“All of it looks bloody good!” Calanthe all but screamed at him.

Eist picked up a piece of bacon, ripped a bite size amount off, and held it up to her mouth. Calanthe pulled her head back slightly, clearly not understanding what he was doing.

“Since you won’t tell me what you want to start with, I’ll choose for you. Eat.” Eist said.

Calanthe narrowed her eyes before she leaned forward, took the piece of bacon between her teeth and pulled back again to chew. Without looking at her, Eist took a bite of bacon himself before cutting a bit of egg and offering it to her.

“You’re feeding me?” Calanthe asked after she ate the piece of egg carefully off the fork that Eist held to her mouth.

“Yes.” Eist said before eating a piece himself.

When Eist looked at Calanthe again and held up a bit of potato, he noticed she was looking at him strangely.

“What?” Eist asked as she chewed. “You said you were hungry.”

Calanthe’s eyes were watering when he held up a spoon full of blueberries.

“I love you.” Calanthe said softly as Eist took a spoon full of blueberries for himself. “And I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

“I love you too.” Eist whispered as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. He pulled back just enough so he was inches from her face when he whispered, “And it’s okay. You’re cute when you’re angry.”

Calanthe only rolled her eyes in response, causing Eist to chuckle as he began to peel an orange.

\--

“She’s tiny.” Ciri said quietly as she looked at the babe in Calanthe’s arms.

“You were that small when you were born too.” Eist said softly.

“What’s her name?”

“We haven’t picked one yet.” Calanthe said.

Ciri stayed silent as she leaned closer to the babe. “I hope she is old enough to play soon.”

Calanthe chuckled. “It will be a little while before that happens, sweetheart. But you can read to her…”

“Can I hold her?” Ciri asked suddenly.

Calanthe took a deep breath and glanced up at Eist, who nodded lightly. “You can little pup, but you must hold her exactly as your Grandmother is.”

Eist picked Ciri up and sat her beside Calanthe on the couch and watched as she carefully placed their daughter on Ciri’s lap. Ciri grinned as Eist sat down on the opposite side of her.

“Am I holding her okay?” Ciri asked softly.

“You are doing perfectly fine, little pup.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss on the top of Ciri’s head.

\--

Naming their child ended up being far less stressful than Eist assumed it would be. Eist himself did not even know where to start. Eist was drawing a blank as he and Calanthe had been sitting on the floor in front of the fire with Calanthe laying against his chest and their daughter in her arms when she asked, “What about Carena?”

“Carena.” Eist repeated. “I like it.” He said as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s temple before resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Carena Fiona Riannon Tuirseach.”

Eist sat up a little straighter. “You want her to have my last name?”

“Of course I do.” Calanthe said as she turned to look at him. “Why would I not?”

“I just assumed that she wouldn’t. Pavetta and Ciri don’t have their fathers last names.”

“No, they don’t. Consider yourself lucky that I am willing to break tradition for you.” Calanthe said playfully as she turned back to look at Carena.

Eist’s voice caught in his throat as he said, “It means a lot to me that you are willing to give her my last name.”

Calanthe turned back to him and smiled. “I know it does.” She said softly as she turned her head more to kiss him. “And that is precisely why I want her to have it.”

\--

Eist was sitting at the dining table in the sitting room and had been sketching out the final details on the crown that he was having commissioned for Calanthe. He had just finished making the final notes on the parchment and getting ready to seal it to have it sent out in tomorrow’s courier to Skellige when he heard a knock on the door. The sword would be made in Cintra and he planned on visiting the armory tomorrow to have it started.

“Mother?” Pavetta called softly.

Eist glanced to the open bedchamber doors. Calanthe had fallen asleep while she fed Carena earlier that afternoon and laid down for a nap at Eist’s insistence. Carena was also asleep in her bassinet beside Calanthe. Eist quickly stood and crossed the room to close the bedchamber doors before opening the main door to their chambers. Just as he was about to speak, he froze with his mouth hanging open. Bran and Crach were standing there, looking as windswept as ever.

“Congratulations Brother!” Bran shouted as he pulled Eist in for a hug.

“Shh!” Eist said as he smiled and hugged Bran in return. “What are you doing here?” Eist asked when they parted as Crach clasped him on the back.

“We came here to meet the little tyke!”

“I’ll leave you to it then. I assume you both will stay for dinner?” Pavetta asked.

“Yes Princess, we won’t leave till the morrow.”

Eist ushered Bran and Crach in before quietly shutting the door as Pavetta made her way to the kitchens.

“When did you get here?” Eist asked.

“Just a little while ago. The princess seemed surprised enough when we walked into court.”

“I’m sure she was. We were not expecting you to arrive until the presentation banquet.”

“Ah,” Bran said, waving his hand. “Nonsense. We prepared for the journey as soon as the letter from the princess arrived.”

Eist smirked at that.

“Uncle, who is Lord Hilqvuest?” Crach asked as he leaned back on the couch.

Eist’s smirk quickly faded. “He’s a Cintran lord and a pain in my ass. Why do you ask?”

“In court he was boasting to a group of men that Modron did not bear a son.” Eist’s hand curled into a fist. “Pavetta was trying to put a stop to it, but the little shit just kept talking.” Crach said.

Bran laughed beside him. “He did not keep talking for long though.”

“And why is that?” Eist asked.

“I told him that if he didn’t shut his mouth that I’d drown him in the sea, of course.”

Eist laughed as Bran asked, “So where is the Ard Rhena and the Princess?”

“Resting.” Eist said as he motioned towards the door.

“Well?” Crach asked.

“Well what?”

“What is her name?”

“Ah.” Eist said. “Carena Fiona Riannon Tuirseach.”

“Carena? That is a fine name for a princess.” Bran said. “And Tuirseach? She will take your last name? That is quite an honor. I did not think Cintran princesses took their fathers last names.”

“They don’t, but Calanthe insisted. And I have to admit that I am quite pleased.”

Eist stood as he glanced over at the table with the sketch he had been finishing. “Bran, would you mind taking this to Cranton when you return to Skellige? I would also ask that you bring it with you when you return for the banquet in a month.” Eist asked as he picked up the parchment.

“Sure. What is it?” Bran asked.

“A gift for Calanthe.”

“Ah, the birthing gift.” Bran said as he took the sketch and looked over it. “A crown? Good Gods, brother. I only gifted Birna a brooch.”

“There is a sword as well, but that will be made in Cintra. I couldn’t decide between the two.”

Bran chuckled as he shook his head, “If the women across the Continent knew how you spoiled the Ard Rhena, they would be lined up for miles to have a shot with you.”

Eist chuckled. “They can line up all they want, but I’m already taken. And I have a feeling the only thing they would have a shot with is Calanthe’s sword.”

\--

Eist, Bran, and Crach had been catching up for well over an hour before Calanthe quietly opened the bedchamber doors while carrying Carena in her arms. Eist smiled softly when he looked up at her. She had slipped on a dress and braided her hair, but still looked as tired as ever, despite her nap.

“I thought I heard your voices.” Calanthe said, her voice still thick with sleep.

“I apologize if we woke you, your Majesty.” Bran said softly as he stood and bowed his head.

“Nonsense.” Calanthe said lightly as she first walked to Bran and handed him Carena before sitting beside Eist on the couch. “It was about time I got up anyway.”

“She is a sweet little thing.” Bran said as he gently rocked Carena in his arms. “It’s hard to see whose looks she favors the most though.”

“Hopefully neither of us just yet. She’s not even a week old.” Calanthe said.

Eist chuckled as he sat back on the couch.

“Come here cousin.” Crach said softly as Carena was passed to him. Calanthe laughed and sat back against the couch beside Eist when Carena opened her eyes and began to squirm as she grasped one of Crach’s fingers in her little hand. “She is certainly quite strong.”

“She takes after her mother.” Eist said before pressing a soft kiss to Calanthe’s temple.

Carena was passed around for the remainder of the day with everyone vying to hold her. When they sat in the banquet hall for dinner, she started in Eist’s arms and was quickly passed to Pavetta, Duny, Mousesack, Bran, Crach, and even Ciri with Pavetta’s help. Eist smiled when she finally ended in Calanthe’s arms and nestled down to sleep.

\--

The mornings had become Eist’s favorite time of the day and had stuck to the same routine since Carena was born. Eist would wake early, change her diaper, and then lay down in bed with her pressed to his chest. Calanthe no longer worried when she woke but instead would turn to face Eist and smile. Eist would then keep his left hand gently pressed against Carena’s back while she slept and wrap his right arm around Calanthe as she nuzzled against the side of his chest before falling back asleep.

\--

Five days after Carena was born, Eist was dismayed to see that Calanthe quickly rose after waking and began to dress.

“Going somewhere?” Eist asked as he patted Carena’s back while she laid on his chest.

“It’s been a week since I’ve been at court.” Calanthe said as she began to brush her hair.

Eist sighed to himself. He was surprised that she gave herself the five days that she had before attempting to go back.

“You are away from court when we are in Skellige.”

“That’s different. I still get couriers then and am in constant communication with my advisors, ambassadors, hell even the lords.”

“Well,” Eist said slowly as he carefully climbed out of bed while still holding Carena. He had a feeling this conversation may not go well. “I was thinking, why don’t you take some time away from court? At least for a little while.”

“Time away? I am the Queen. It’s already been five days. Gods know what chaos has already been started.”

Eist winced at how irritated she looked.

“Why can’t you? You have Pavetta and Duny.”

Calanthe set her brush down then and began to braid her hair. “It is not that simple, Eist.”

“Yes, it is. I want us to have this time with her while she is young. I’ve never done this before, but I know it will go by fast and I am determined that we not miss it.” Calanthe turned then and shot Eist a deadly glare. “Don’t look at me like that.” Eist said softly. “You know I’m right.” Calanthe sighed. “You insisted that Pavetta take time away from court after she had Ciri. You should do the same for yourself. Pavetta has already agreed to oversee Cintra for you.”

“Has she? So, the two of you have already discussed this?” Calanthe asked.

“Yes, because I know what your like.”

“Please tell me what I’m like.”

Eist sighed this time. “Dutiful and stubborn.”

“I am not stubborn.” Calanthe said.

Eist was pleased to hear that there was a hint of playfulness in her voice that time. “Oh yes you are.” Eist said as Calanthe let go of her hair, not finishing her braid.

“You are sure she doesn’t mind?” Calanthe asked. “That is a lot of responsibility and she is still young.”

“She is fine with it, I promise you.” Eist said as Calanthe stood and walked to him. “And she is older than you were when you became Queen. She will do just fine, and we will be here if she needs us. And I would gladly take care of anyone who gives Pavetta any problems. Besides, she has Duny to help her.”

Calanthe scoffed playfully at that as she carefully took Carena from Eist’s arms and kissed her on the cheek.

\--

“I have never seen a baby enjoy her bath so much.” Calanthe mused as she and Eist leaned over the shallow tub that had been made just for Carena.

Carena did indeed enjoy her baths and was currently staring up at Eist and Calanthe with her eyes wide while she stretched her legs.

“That’s because she is half sea hound.” Eist whispered as he tapped Carena lightly on the nose and chuckled as she scrunched her face in response.

When finished, Eist changed into a lightweight linen shirt and matching pants while Calanthe gently rubbed shea butter into Carena’s skin. They had decided to take a walk in the gardens but waited until the late afternoon. At first they had planned on taking her out earlier, but Eist was worried that the bright sun might hurt her eyes. After Calanthe slipped into a light, airy dress that flowed when she walked and swaddled Carena in a fresh blanket, they carefully made their way outside.

It was Carena’s first time outdoors, and Eist and Calanthe both laughed when they looked down at her after they first stepped outside to see her scrunch up her face and nestle further down into Calanthe’s arms.

“I don’t think she’s impressed.” Eist chuckled.

They made their way through the gardens slowly as Eist insisted on stopping and showing Carena every kind of flower that they passed. The bench at the very back of the garden was surrounded by full, white rose bushes and was warm from the sun as they sat. Eist leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment as Calanthe rested her head on his shoulder. Birds were chirping as they flew by and the sun felt good on Eist’s face as a warm breeze blew.

“It’s beautiful out here.” Calanthe whispered.

Eist smirked as he turned towards Calanthe and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Yes it is.”

“Eist, look!” Calanthe said, her voice an octave higher than usual as she looked down at Carena.

He quickly looked down and at first had no idea what Calanthe saw. Carena looked as content as could be, staring with wide eyes at her hand as she held it in front of her. Eist almost burst out laughing. Carena had the same expressions as her mother and was currently narrowing her eyes in the same way as Calanthe did when she focused on something. When Eist looked closer, he noticed what Calanthe had. Carena’s eyes had changed to a deep, rich blue.

“You see that?” Calanthe asked.

“Her eyes?”

“Yes. I was hoping she would have your eyes. It looks like they just might end up that way.”

\--

The presentation banquet for Carena was to be held in two weeks’ time, exactly one month from the day she was born, and the palace had become more alive than it had been in months in preparation of it. Pavetta had been hard at work, bustling around after court writing invitations, preparing menu options, and scheduling the musicians. Every nobleman across the land had been invited and Eist could not remember the last time he had seen such an array of more scrumptious food that had been made for he and Calanthe to sample. While Calanthe finished getting ready, Eist took Carena to Mousesack, who was with Ciri giving her her writing lessons. Eist laughed as Mousesack looked downright terrified at the prospect of watching a newborn and a rambunctious seven-year-old.

“What if they gang up on me?” Mousesack asked when Eist handed Carena to him.

“She has just been fed so she’ll soon fall asleep. Besides, this little one can’t even crawl yet, so I think you’ll manage. We won’t be long.”

\--

Eist led the way for the sampling and Calanthe was quick to observe that if Eist took a second sample, that was his way of giving approval. The menu was decided quickly and Eist had just made it to the desserts and spotted his favorite, chocolate cream puffs. He was ready to eat all of them when he overheard Pavetta discussing who she had hired for the musical entertainment.

“Mother, do you remember Jaskier?”

“I do. I was the one who regretfully invited him to your betrothal feast after all. Why do you ask?” Eist turned just in time to see Calanthe’s eyes go wide and the color leave her skin. “Pavetta you didn’t. Tell me you didn’t invite him.”

“Why not? He was so well received the last time he was here.”

Calanthe had visibly begun to shake just as Duny walked into the banquet hall.

“Sorry I’m late darling.” Duny said as he walked up behind Pavetta and kissed her on the cheek as he pulled off his leather gloves. “The archery lesson went a little long and… what’s wrong?” Duny asked as he glanced from Pavetta to Calanthe.

“He was so well received? Really? Do you not remember who he brought with him the last time?”

“Of course I remember…”

“Do you? Do you really? Because if you do, I am trying to figure out why you invited him back?” Calanthe was all but screaming now. “Out! Everyone out now!”

The chefs and servants scattered immediately and all but tripped over each other as they ran from the banquet hall. Eist swallowed as he took several steps closer to Calanthe as she spoke again. “What if he brings the Witcher back? Did you think of that?”

“Yes, I thought of it! I was worried about Geralt returning but I already discussed it with Jaskier. He has not seen Geralt in years and had no intentions of bringing him here even if he had.”

“And you believe him?”

“Yes. I believe him. Why would he lie?”

Calanthe looked downright furious. She stayed silent though as she stared at Pavetta with her chest heaving.

“Fine. But if that Witcher is seen anywhere near Cintra I will have his head and the bloody bards on a spike!”

And with that Calanthe stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Eist turned his gaze from the door to Pavetta who was now being hovered over by Duny. Eist sighed. Her lip was trembling and her eyes were watering as she fought back tears.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked softly as he walked to her.

It was a stupid question, and Eist knew it. Calanthe and Pavetta were so different in how they viewed the world, and this instance could not have shown that more clearly. While Calanthe trusted very few people, Pavetta did.

“I truly did not think asking Jaskier to come back here would make her angry. It’s not like I invited Geralt.” Pavetta said as she hung her head while Duny kissed her on the cheek. “Besides, he is banished anyway.”

“I know. It’s just she loves Ciri so much and would be devastated if she lost her.”

“Well we don’t want to lose her either.” Duny said as he glanced at Eist.

Eist nodded as he went to leave to find Calanthe.

\--

Eist had a hunch on where Calanthe had stormed off too and as he approached the training yard, he found that he was right. Calanthe had a sword in her hand and was hacking wildly at a wooden target. As Eist approached her, she struck the target so hard that it splintered in half. Eist’s eyes went wide as the top half of the target fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Calanthe turned to him then and did not seem remotely surprised to see him. Her hair was wild with pieces sticking out of her braided bun, brow covered with sweat, and face flushed.

“I don’t want him anywhere near here, Eist.”

“The bard or the Witcher?”

Calanthe glared at Eist. “Both, preferably.”

“Ah.” Eist said as he nodded his head lightly. “And what exactly do you think the humble bard is going to do, besides entertain our guests?” Just as Calanthe opened her mouth to respond, Eist cut in again. “And before you answer, remember that Geralt will not be there.”

Calanthe sighed. “I don’t mind the idiot bard being here, not really, but I was serious about putting his head on a spike if he gives me a reason to.”

“How about I have extra guards posted around the castle and in the banquet hall. Would that make you feel better?” Eist asked gently as he walked to Calanthe.

Calanthe nodded in agreement and he was pleased that as he approached, she did not pull away and instead allowed him to press a kiss to her forehead.

“We should get Carena.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned against Eist who smiled as he wrapped his arms around her.

“We will. After you apologize to Pavetta.”

Calanthe pulled back then and gave Eist a pointed look.

“You know she would never put Ciri in danger. And she has not only been overseeing your kingdom for you, but she has been arranging for our daughters’ banquet.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll apologize.”

\--

Calanthe did apologize to Pavetta as she said she would. Eist and Duny stepped back as crying quickly began to occur as neither one of them wanted to get involved.

“I’m glad the Queen decided to apologize. Pavetta was very upset.” Duny said.

“As was the Queen.” Eist retorted. “There will be extra guards the day of the banquet, and you will keep your sword with you at dinner.”

“Who decided that?”

“I did. We cannot take any chances and it will put the Queen’s mind at ease.”

“Are you worried that the Witcher will pop up at dinner, grab Ciri and make a run for it?” Duny asked.

Eist glared back at him. “You will either have your sword or Ciri will sit with the Queen and I.”

“Alright. But you can’t expect me to kill the man. I would be dead if it weren’t for him.”

“It is funny isn’t it? Neither one of us would be where we are if Geralt had not shown up that day. You would indeed be dead, and Pavetta would be married to Crach.”

“Yes. Ciri would be a fatherless child, and you. Well would you even be with the Queen?”

Eist took a breath and for a moment he stared at Calanthe as she hugged Pavetta tightly. He would perhaps be on his one hundredth proposal by now. All the moments with Calanthe, all the kisses, all the throws of passion almost didn’t happen at all. The laughs with Ciri were almost never experienced and his daughter, well she never would have been born. Eist tried for a moment to imagine that he still led the same life he had before he wed Calanthe, spending most of his time at sea, discovering new lands and species during the day, but spending his nights pining for the woman he loved. Eist focused on Calanthe again and smiled. The sea, despite how much he loved it, did not remotely compare to her, nor did any adventure he had ever been on. And all this happened because a bard brought a Witcher to a banquet in Cintra.

\--

The day of the presentation banquet approached quickly but began as all the days did now. Eist woke early and changed Carena’s diaper, which he could now do quickly and correctly as well as properly swaddle her. It was a small achievement, but Eist was pleased and Carena seemed to be too, for she no longer fussed when Eist changed her but instead simply stared up at him with her big eyes that were quickly turning an even lighter shade of blue. Eist suspected that they would indeed soon be the same color as his, just as Calanthe had hoped for. After Carena was cleaned and swaddled, Eist carried her back to bed and smiled when Calanthe rolled over and snuggled against the side of his chest as he put his arm around her.

As the guests began to arrive later in the morning, Eist made his way to the armory to retrieve Calanthe’s sword.

“I believe this is the finest sword I have ever made, your Majesty. It is certainly fit for a queen.” The armorer said as he opened a velvet lined wooden box and presented it to Eist.

Eist smiled when he saw it. The sword itself was made of Cintran steel, with the fuller plated in bronze. The cross guard had been designed to look as though it was wrapped in bronze coated steel rope, and just above it on the blade was a single large pearl, cut in half and embedded into the steal on both sides. The grip was wrapped in Cintran blue leather to match Ciri’s training sword, and the pommel ended with a bronze plated lions paw, matching the ones on her pauldrons. Eist took the sword out and tested its balance before taking a few careful swings. While the sword was beautifully designed, it was also meant to be functional. The sword had perfect balance and sang in the air as it was swung. Eist smiled again as he placed it back in the wooden box and thanked the armorer for his work.

Just as Eist was making his way back to his bedchamber and trying to decide on when he would give Calanthe the sword, he heard Bran call for him. After greeting each other, Bran quickly ushered Eist into a nearby room and handed him a small box. The crown was indeed exquisite. Soon Eist said goodbye to Bran, allowing both of them to go to their chambers to begin to prepare for the banquet.

When Eist returned to his chambers, he found Calanthe asleep in bed with all of the pillows pushed to the ground and Carena lying awake beside her. After carefully setting the boxes on the end of the bed, Eist made his way to where Carena was laying and kicking her little feet. Eist smiled as he picked her up and carried her to look out the window.

“Are you excited for today?” Eist whispered. From the window he had a vast view of the city and could look down to see a line of horses and carriages as guests continued to arrive. “You see all those people down there? They are all here to meet you.” Eist whispered as he kissed Carena on the forehead.

Eist carefully turned her in his arms so her back rested against his chest instead of her tummy and held her close to him as he took another step towards the window. She looked as unimpressed as ever and quickly began to fuss until Eist turned her again, so she was laying in his arms. She seemed to be pleased with that and quickly fell asleep as she nuzzled her nose against his chest. Eist hummed as he rocked her softly and glanced outside again. It was around noon, and Calanthe would begin to get ready over the next few hours. After glancing down again to ensure that Carena was still asleep, Eist gently placed her in her bassinet before laying down beside Calanthe and kissing her awake.

He was not entirely sure what to expect when he handed her the wooden box with the sword inside.

“What’s this?” Calanthe asked sleepily as she sat up in bed.

“Open it.” Eist whispered.

Calanthe furrowed her brow, her expression playful while she took the box from him. When she opened it and looked down, she let out a loud gasp. Her smile told him everything that he needed to know. Calanthe carefully pulled the sword out then and turned it in her hands.

“It’s beautiful.”

Eist chuckled. Only Calanthe would describe a weapon as beautiful. “It’s not just ceremonial, unless you want it to be. You can also fight with it if you wish.”

Calanthe glanced up at him with glowing eyes. “Darling, this is truly exquisite. But why did you give this to me?”

Eist leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips before nodding towards Carena’s bassinet. “It is a Skelligan tradition to give the mother of your child a birthing gift. And besides, you made that perfect little daughter of ours. I think a sword is the least I can give you. A sword, and this.” Eist said as he reached around and picked up the smaller box that held the crown.

Calanthe looked at Eist as though he had lost his mind before she carefully placed the sword back in its box before taking the second box from him.

“Another gift?” Calanthe asked as she looked back up at Eist.

“I couldn’t decide between the two.” Eist said sheepishly as he shrugged.

Calanthe chuckled as she shook her head lightly while she opened the box. This time she stayed silent as her eyes went wide and filled with tears. For a moment Eist did not know what to think. She had so clearly liked her sword but perhaps the crown did not suit her. Calanthe looked up at him then as a tear dripped down her cheek. Just as she went to speak, she bit her lip softly before looking down at the crown again and carefully lifting it out of the box.

“This is stunning.” Calanthe whispered when she held it up and carefully turned it in her hands. Eist smiled softly as she gently ran her fingertips across the stones and pearls. “You designed this yourself, didn’t you?” Eist only nodded his head. He went to speak, to ask if she did indeed like it, but Calanthe spoke before he could. “And the sword as well?” Eist nodded again. “Those drawings that we put in Carena’s bedchamber, when you first showed them to me at the very bottom was a sketch that you didn’t want me to see. You were sketching these, weren’t you?”

“Yes.” Eist said softly.

Calanthe teared up again and quickly stood from the bed while carrying her crown. For a moment Eist was confused as he watched her, until she stopped in front of the looking glass at her vanity. Eist smiled as she carefully placed the crown on her head and took a moment to adjust it. It was indeed a glorious crown and made all the more glorious by the woman who wore it.

“Do you like it?” Eist asked as he stood and slowly walked behind Calanthe before pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

“I love it.” Calanthe said back firmly as she looked at him through the looking glass. “I do not have a gift for you though.” Calanthe said softly.

“What are you talking about?” Eist asked through a chuckle. Calanthe turned to face him as Eist placed his hands on her hips. “You’re not supposed to give me a gift. Carena is the gift. My love, you carried her for nine months, birthed her, and now feed her. And you know what I did?”

“Well, for a start, you cared for me and you still are.” Calanthe said softly.

Eist chuckled to himself. He did indeed care for and look after her, but that was not the point, and she was not picking up on his sarcasm.

“Yes, but that’s what I should do. And what I was going to say is all I did was have a lot of fun helping you make her.” Eist said. Calanthe gave Eist a pointed look before laughing and smacking him on the arm. “Well it certainly was fun.” Eist said as he wrapped his arms around Calanthe and pulled her against him. “But you did all the work, and you deserve all the gifts in the world for it.”

Calanthe pulled away from Eist then, her eyes suddenly serious. She silently took him by the hand and led him to the sitting room, leaving their bedchamber door open a jar. Eist was quickly pushed onto the couch as Calanthe locked the main door to their chambers.

“It’s been a while since we’ve enjoyed each other.” Calanthe whispered as she walked towards Eist and quickly stripped off her robe and revealing that she wore nothing underneath.

Eist groaned at the sight of her. It had been a while. They had not made love since a week before Carena was born, and she was now a month old. Eist had indeed been craving Calanthe since he had last had her, but they were under strict orders from Mousesack to not engage for another two weeks. Some acts could be completed, but as much as Eist wanted Calanthe, he did not have the heart to ask that they do them. Calanthe was tired as it was, and constantly needed by their daughter. He felt selfish asking for anything, so instead finished himself in the privy when he needed to.

“Well, we have been a little busy.” Eist said huskily as Calanthe lowered herself to her knees in front of him.

“That’s true.” Calanthe was slowly untying Eist’s pants as she spoke. “We have been busy, but I am in need of my husband right now.”

Eist groaned as he felt himself jump in his pants. “We have to wait two more weeks.”

“We do, but you know as well as I that there are plenty of ways we can satisfy each other until then.”

Calanthe’s mouth was hot against him as she took him in completely at the first bob of her head. As she pulled backward, she traced him from the base of his shaft to the tip with her tongue, almost causing Eist to finish right then and there. He allowed his head to fall back as he took measured breaths and tried to control himself. Calanthe was making it awfully hard however, quite literally, as she began to trace around his head with her tongue as her hand pumped up and down him. It took every ounce of control Eist had to not shove her head back down on him, but he certainly considered it as he buried his hands in her hair. He did not have to wait long however because soon he was fully in her mouth again and pressed so far back that he felt his tip hit the back of her throat. She kept him there for a while and gagged a little when she pulled back just before diving in again. Eist came hard down her throat. He tried to hold back a groan but couldn’t and felt his eyes roll in the back of his head as she licked him clean.

Eist sat there for a moment, in a daze that was threatening to put him to sleep before he clutched at Calanthe’s shoulders and leaned down to pull her to his lap.

“And in what ways do you wish to be satisfied, my love?” Eist whispered.

Calanthe did not respond, at least not verbally. Instead she took him in her hand and quickly began to pump up and down again. Eist’s eyes shot open as he looked down and felt himself quickly hardening again. He certainly was in the mood for her.

“We can’t.” Eist groaned out, but Gods how he wanted to.

“I know.” Calanthe said through a heavy breath. “But there is more than one way this can satisfy me. Lay on your back.”

Eist looked at her again, wondering what she had in mind. He quickly complied as she climbed off of his lap, only to straddle him again after he was on his back. Eist watched as Calanthe took him in her hand and pressed him against his stomach as she positioned herself above him. She took a moment to lower herself and just as she began to move Eist realized what she was doing. She had pressed herself down so her clit was grazing his shaft as she moved her hips up and down. Eist watched, his member now as hard as ever as Calanthe’s hips jerked against him. She was deliciously wet and he could feel her clit as she rubbed it from his base to the tip and then back down again. She came soon after and collapsed against Eist while he held her as she cried out and shuddered against him. He waited until she stilled and her breathing calmed before flipping her on her back.

He was surprised that he had not finished again but took advantage before he did. Eist kissed her calves as he spread her legs and tapped her clit with the very tip of him. Calanthe let out a yelp at first as her legs snapped shut.

“Oh fuck that feels good.” She breathed out.

Eist smirked. Her legs had begun to shake as she opened them again for him and soon she came hard, so hard that he could see her juices flowing from her as she thrashed below him. Eist used his tongue for her final orgasm and smiled when Calanthe took him in her mouth to finish him for a second time.

Afterward, they made their way on shaking legs to their bedchamber and collapsed. After laying there for a few moments, they both pulled the pillows from the floor and rested them against the headboard, giving something for Eist to lean against. For the first time in a month, Calanthe curled into Eist’s arms and against his chest. For the first time in a month, Eist felt truly comfortable.

“I missed that.” Calanthe whispered playfully as Eist ran his hand down her spine.

“I am yours for the taking any time you see fit.” Eist whispered back.

Calanthe chuckled and for a few moments they laid in silence as sleep washed over them.

“We’ve never gone that long without pleasing each other.” Eist whispered as he kissed Calanthe on the forehead.

“I know. And I propose we never do that again.”

“I agree whole heartedly.” Eist whispered back playfully. “Only two more weeks…”

“Until we can have all the hanky panky we want.” Calanthe interrupted.

Laughter rolled through Eist’s chest as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

“Yes, my love. Two more weeks until hanky panky.” Eist said as he continued to laugh. “I love you.”

“I love you two.” Calanthe whispered.

Somehow, they had managed to not wake Carena, and soon the both of them were fast asleep, getting a final nap in before the start of the banquet.


	32. Chapter 16B - Calanthe

**Chapter 16B – Calanthe**

**Year 1256**

Calanthe was ripped out of a very good dream at the sound of her daughter’s cries. Eist’s arms were still around her when she woke and regretfully had to pull out of them as she sat up and reached over to pick up the crying babe. Her face was already red as little tears fell from her eyes while she squirmed as Calanthe picked her up.

“Shh. It’s okay little one.” Calanthe whispered softly as she held her to her breast.

In truth Calanthe was so tired that she had no idea if her daughter wanted fed or not. She latched quickly though as Calanthe settled herself back against the pillows. Eist had woken, just as he said he would and was currently gazing into the fire. His eyes were sunken, his hair wild, and there were creases from the sheets on his side from where he had slept pressed up against her.

“You can go back to sleep.” Calanthe said softly.

She truly appreciated his sentiment of waking with her, but he looked so tired and there was no telling how long feeding their daughter would take.

“No, I’ll wait for you.” Eist said as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her shoulder. “So, how do you know when she’s full?”

Calanthe chuckled. “She’ll stop feeding, and most likely fall right back asleep.”

Eist nodded. This was all so new to him, and she knew just how desperate he was to understand. He was now experiencing things he never did with Ciri and he seemed to be almost desperate to be a good father. For a while they laid there in silence, both too tired to speak.

“She certainly is hungry.” Eist whispered.

“If she is anything like you then she’ll have the appetite of a horse.”

Eist chuckled as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s temple.

“There we are.” Calanthe said softly as her daughter nestled down into Calanthe’s arms as she fell back asleep.

Soon afterward the baby was fast asleep in her bassinet as Calanthe and Eist resumed their positions in bed. Calanthe’s eyes quickly grew heavy as Eist nuzzled against her neck again and soon she was fast asleep.

\--

The next time Calanthe woke, she opened her eyes to see the sun just beginning to light their bedchamber. She slowly blinked her eyes for a moment and stretched her back slightly before focusing on the bassinet just beside the bed. Calanthe blinked again and looked closer, at first assuming she was still too tired to see properly. When Calanthe focused again, she realized that her daughter was indeed not in her bassinet. Calanthe felt her stomach drop as she lunged forward. She was shaking with fear and felt as though she would be sick to her stomach. _Did she somehow fall in the night? Did someone take her?_

What did not occur to Calanthe was to turn around to see if Eist had her. “Calanthe.” Eist said urgently.

She turned to see Eist with their daughter asleep on his chest, just like the she was the day she was born.

“Oh Gods.” Calanthe breathed out as she pulled her knees to her chest under the covers and rested her head against them. “For a moment I thought she was gone.”

“I’m so sorry, my love. Here, take her.”

“It’s okay.” Calanthe said, her voice muffled against the blanket.

She lifted her head then and turned to Eist. She met his gaze for a moment, and she could see just how bad he felt. Calanthe’s eyes trailed downward then and smiled when she looked at their daughter. She was holding onto the very tip of Eist’s pointer finger. It was the sweetest thing that Calanthe had ever seen. Eist must have changed her as well, because she was in a different color blanket than what she had worn last night, and it was noticeably not wrapped around her. Calanthe chuckled to herself, Eist must have given up and instead just decided to cover her and be done with it.

“Keep her with you, at least for a bit.” Calanthe yawned and then laid down again, only this time she laid to face Eist and snuggled so she was pressed against his side with their daughters face just above hers. “She looks so peaceful and she’s holding your hand. I cannot interrupt that.”

“Still, I’m sorry I scared you.”

“It’s alright.” Calanthe breathed out again.

Calanthe lifted herself first to press a kiss to Eist’s lips, then one to the babe’s forehead before nuzzling against Eist and promptly falling back asleep.

\--

It wasn’t long before Calanthe woke again, and thankfully this time she woke with ease. Eist was still laying with their daughter, and Calanthe was still nuzzled up against his arm.

“Good morning.” Eist chuckled as Calanthe lazily kissed the side of his bicep.

“Good morning to you too.” Calanthe said as she propped herself on her elbow and pressed a kiss to Eist’s lips. “She’s still holding your hand.” Calanthe said softly when she looked down and smiled at their daughter.

Eist kissed the top of their daughter’s head before gently lifting her off of him and pressing her against Calanthe’s chest. Calanthe gladly took her in her arms and began to press kisses over every inch of her little face. Just as Calanthe finished, the babe opened her eyes wide and stared at Calanthe as Calanthe grinned back at her.

“How about some breakfast?” Eist asked as he pulled his shoes on.

“Oh my Gods yes. I’m starving.” Calanthe said softly as she leaned against the headboard with the babe cradled in her arms.

“Want anything in particular?”

“Anything is fine, just whatever you do, bring back a lot of food.”

Eist kissed her and their daughter before he made his way down to the kitchens as Calanthe smiled down again at her daughter, who was now pressing her hands together and still staring at Calanthe. For a moment Calanthe winced as she felt her head begin to pang with hunger. Calanthe pushed the feeling away though as she gently used her thumb and middle finger to gently massage the back of her head while she held her.

\--

Calanthe could smell the food before she saw it, and when she did, she almost burst out laughing. Eist wheeled in a cart into their bedchamber that was stuffed to the hilt with all sorts of various breakfast foods.

“Dear Gods, how much do you think we’re going to eat?” Calanthe asked.

“You said you were hungry.” Eist said as he set two empty trays on the end of the bed.

“That I did” Calanthe chuckled as she shifted their daughter in her arms to lay her in her bassinet.

“Never mind.” Calanthe said softly as she glanced up at Eist who had stopped just before he began to plate their food to look at her. “It’s fine. Eat. I’ll get mine once she’s finished.”

Calanthe was so hungry she felt like screaming, but there was no sense in having Eist wait for her. She looked down at her daughter and tried to focus on her instead of the delicious smelling food. That became impossible when Eist sat down in front of her with a plate piled high with food on a tray with two glasses of water. Calanthe glared up at Eist then. She figured he wanted to be close to her, but it felt like he was dangling food in front of her that she could not eat, and it was beginning to piss her off.

“Alright, what looks good?” Eist asked as he glanced down at the tray.

Calanthe looked at Eist and considered picking up the plate of food and smacking him over the head with it.

“Eist, please. My head is pounding and I’m in no mood…”

“What looks good?” Eist asked again.

“All of it looks bloody good!” Calanthe all but screamed at him.

Calanthe watched as Eist picked up a piece of bacon, ripped a bite size amount off, and held it up to her mouth. She pulled her head back slightly, not understanding why he was now literally shoving food in her face.

“Since you won’t tell me what you want to start with, I’ll choose for you. Eat.” Eist said.

Calanthe narrowed her eyes before she leaned forward, took the piece of bacon between her teeth and pulled back again to chew. Eist took a bite of bacon himself before cutting a bit of egg and offering it to her.

“You’re feeding me?” Calanthe asked after she ate the piece of egg carefully off the fork that Eist held to her mouth.

“Yes.” Eist said before eating a piece himself.

Calanthe stared at him while he cut up and held up a bit of potato.

“What?” Eist asked as she chewed. “You said you were hungry.”

Calanthe felt her eyes sting with tears and instantly regretted the thought of smacking him with a plate full of food. He was feeding her since she could not feed herself.

“I love you.” Calanthe said softly as Eist took a spoon full of blueberries for himself. “And I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

“I love you too.” Eist whispered as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. He pulled back just enough so that he was inches from her face when he whispered, “And it’s okay. You’re cute when you’re angry.”

Calanthe only rolled her eyes in response, causing Eist to chuckle as he began to peel an orange.

\--

There were several things Calanthe was set on for their child’s name. First, it would begin with the letter c, as did most first names of the Cintran royal family. It was a first name tradition that she had dismissed when she named Pavetta but did not wish to do so again. Second, the child would have her middle names that were carried down through her family. Where Calanthe was willing to break with tradition was with their daughters last name. Members of the royal family did not have them as technically their last name was the name of their royal house. Despite that, she knew that it would mean a lot to Eist for his child to have his name, and that alone made the tradition worth breaking.

Currently, Calanthe was holding their daughter in her arms as they sat in front of the fire. Eist was sitting upright with his arms wrapped around Calanthe as she laid against his chest. They had been there for a while but spending most of that time in silence as they watched their daughter look up at them with wide eyes.

The name came to Calanthe suddenly and repeated it to herself silently several times.

Carena Fiona Riannon Tuirseach.

Calanthe said it to herself one final time as she looked down at her daughter. The name suited her.

“What about Carena?” Calanthe asked.

“Carena.” Eist repeated. “I like it.” He said as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s temple before resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Carena Fiona Riannon Tuirseach.”

She felt Eist sit up straight against her back as he asked, “You want her to have my last name?”

“Of course I do.” Calanthe said as she turned to look at him. “Why would I not?”

“I just assumed that she wouldn’t. Pavetta and Ciri don’t have their fathers last names.”

“No, they don’t. Consider yourself lucky that I am willing to break tradition for you.” Calanthe said playfully as she turned back to look at Carena.

“It means a lot to me that you are willing to give her my last name.”

Calanthe turned back to him and smiled. “I know it does.” She said softly as she turned her head more to kiss him. “And that is precisely why I want her to have it.”

\--

Calanthe had been halfway through feeding Carena when she began to nod off to sleep. She woke when her chin hit her chest and lifted her head up quickly, hoping that Eist did not see. Eist however was walking back into the bedchamber at that very moment and did in fact see that she had fallen asleep. He had taken it upon himself to ensure that Calanthe was able to sleep enough, however he had taken it to an extreme. If she as so much looked tired, or even yawned, Eist was either tucking her in or all but carrying her to bed. Calanthe appreciated the sentiment, and the majority of the time she was very tired. She would soon return to court though, and back to her daily routine. It would do no good to have her used to sleeping so much.

That was a conversation for another day though, for Calanthe did not argue or fight when Eist lifted Carena out of her arms after she was finished with her feeding and carefully placed her in her cradle before tucking Calanthe in.

\--

Calanthe stretched as she woke and subconsciously reached her arm out, searching for Eist until she remembered that it was the middle of the day, and she had only been napping. She glanced over to see that Carena had already woke from her own nap and was currently stretching her legs. Calanthe smiled as she leaned over the bassinet and looked down at Carena. For a moment the babe focused on Calanthe and seemed to give the softest of smiles before lightly bouncing her legs up and down. She chuckled as she leaned down and picked Carena up. Just as she had her in her arms, she thought she heard the sound of voices coming from the sitting room.

“Let’s see if we can find out who is with your Papa.” Calanthe said softly to Carena as she stood an made her way to the door.

Calanthe heard loud laughter then and immediately recognized it. Crach was in the sitting room with Eist, and soon after she could make out Bran’s voice as well.

“Your Uncle Bran and Cousin Crach have come to meet you, little one.” Calanthe whispered as she went to the dressing room and pulled out a dress to change into.

She set Carena back in her bassinet while she quickly threw the dress on and braided her hair. Once finished, Calanthe sat for a moment in front of her vanity to take a good look at herself and realized she looked as tired as she felt. Her nap had helped, but only a little. Perhaps Eist was on to something with having her sleep so often. Calanthe sighed as she stood and picked Carena up again before quietly opening the bedchamber doors. Eist smiled softly when he looked up from where he sat on the couch.

“I thought I heard your voices.” Calanthe said, her voice still thick with sleep.

“I apologize if we woke you, your Majesty.” Bran said softly as he stood and bowed his head.

“Nonsense.” Calanthe said lightly as she first walked to Bran and handed him Carena before sitting beside Eist on the couch. “It was about time I got up anyway.”

“She is a sweet little thing.” Bran said as he gently rocked Carena in his arms. “It’s hard to see whose looks she favors the most though.”

“Hopefully neither of us just yet. She’s not even a week old.” Calanthe said.

Eist chuckled as he sat back on the couch beside Calanthe.

“Come here cousin.” Crach said softly as Carena was passed to him. Calanthe laughed and sat back against the couch beside Eist when Carena opened her eyes and began to squirm as she grasped one of Crach’s fingers in her little hand. “She is certainly quite strong.”

“She takes after her mother.” Eist said before pressing a soft kiss to Calanthe’s temple.

Calanthe smirked at that. Eist was strong as well, but of course he would equate Carena’s strength to her instead of himself.

Carena was passed around for the remainder of the day with everyone vying to hold her. When they sat in the banquet hall for dinner, she started in Eist’s arms and was quickly passed to Pavetta, Duny, Mousesack, Bran, Crach, and even Ciri with Pavetta’s help. Calanthe almost burst out laughing when Carena was finally back in her arms. Carena looked as though she had just about had enough. When Calanthe leaned close to her to press a kiss between her eyes, Carena gave a soft smile just before falling back asleep.

\--

While the mornings were Eist’s time with Carena, the evenings had become Calanthe’s. Every evening had quickly turned into their time to cuddle together. Eist would sometimes sit beside her on the bed and other times by the fire, but each time he would be drawing and never allow Calanthe to see what was on his parchment. The cuddling would start with Calanthe gently sitting Carena upright in her lap and would stare at her for the longest time, noting that every day Carena seemed to change a little more as she grew. Once Carena would begin to fuss, Calanthe would pull her into her arms and hold her just until she fell asleep.

\--

It had been five days since Carena was borne when Calanthe woke and decided it was time to return to court. In truth she had no desire to return, not yet at least, but she was convinced at she could make it work. She would oversee court in the morning, return to her chambers for her midday meal and to see Carena, and then meet with her ambassadors and advisors after she ate. Somewhere in between she would have to feed Carena as well, but she could figure that out later. She contemplated taking Carena with her and having her sit with Eist, but he would be miserable spending his days cooped up talking about politics. Although it was tempting enough just to be able to have Eist sitting beside her cooing at Carena.

“Going somewhere?” Eist asked from where he laid on the bed with Carena pressed against his chest.

Calanthe climbed out of bed and sat down at her bedchamber vanity as she began to brush her hair. “It’s been a week since I’ve been at court.”

She glanced up through the looking glass to see Eist sigh as he patted Carena lightly on the back. Gods what she wouldn’t give to stay in their bedchamber all day and watch Eist fuss over Carena, but life was not that simple.

“You are away from court when we are in Skellige.”

“That’s different. I still get couriers then and am in constant communication with my advisors, ambassadors, hell even the lords.”

In truth Calanthe hated not knowing what was going on in her own court. She seldom trusted anyone, and while she knew Pavetta, Duny, and Mousesack had been in court heavily in her absence, that still did not change the fact that she knew very little of what was going on. Her advisors and ambassadors were loyal enough, but her lords and nobleman were an entirely different matter. Some were her distant cousins, but most had grown up through the nobility and had their own agendas in mind.

“Well,” Eist said slowly as he carefully climbed out of bed while still holding Carena. “I was thinking, why don’t you take some time away from court? At least for a little while.”

Calanthe looked at Eist through the looking glass again. Had he lost his mind?

“Time away? I am the Queen. It’s already been five days. Gods know what chaos has already been started.”

Irritation ran through Calanthe as she continued to brush her hair.

“Why can’t you? You have Pavetta and Duny.”

Calanthe set her brush down then and began to braid her hair. “It is not that simple, Eist.”

Calanthe’s irritation only began to grow. Eist knew better. While he clearly had a disdain for politics and ruling, he was also well aware of what could happen if any monarch lost control of their court.

“Yes, it is. I want us to have this time with her while she is young. I’ve never done this before, but I know it will go by fast and I am determined that we not miss it.”

Calanthe turned then and shot Eist a deadly glare. She had missed most of Pavetta’s childhood when she was ordered into a separate bedchamber and raised by a governess. Calanthe spent her days, and often her evenings ruling while Roegner played king. Pavetta had spent so much time with her governess that when she learned to smile on her own, Pavetta smiled at her governess instead of Calanthe. She had missed Pavetta’s first steps and was not present the first time Pavetta said “Mama”. What was worse is for almost a month Pavetta mistook her governess for her mother, instead of Calanthe.

Eist did not know any of this of course, and Calanthe was not sure if she would ever tell him. In the end though Calanthe knew exactly what she could potentially miss by spending her days in court.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Eist said softly. “You know I’m right.” Calanthe sighed. “You insisted that Pavetta take time away from court after she had Ciri. You should do the same for yourself. Pavetta has already agreed to oversee Cintra for you.”

She had insisted that Pavetta take time away. She would never have subjected Pavetta to miss out with Ciri like Calanthe had with Pavetta. Pavetta did not stay away completely though and every now and again she would make an appearance at court and bring Ciri with her, which was always a welcome change of pace and source of amusement for Calanthe and her advisors.

“Has she? So, the two of you have already discussed this?” Calanthe asked.

“Yes, because I know what your like.”

“Please tell me what I’m like.”

Eist sighed this time. “Dutiful and stubborn.”

“I am not stubborn.” Calanthe said, only being half serious this time.

“Oh yes you are.” Eist said as Calanthe let go of her hair, not finishing her braid.

Pavetta had proven herself over the years to be more than capable of handling even the worst of the Cintran nobility on her own. And she was not afraid to ask for help if she needed it. Still though, the idea of all but handing the keys to her kingdom to Pavetta, even if only temporarily, was not easy for Calanthe to do.

“You are sure she doesn’t mind?” Calanthe asked. “That is a lot of responsibility and she is still young.”

“She is fine with it, I promise you.” Eist said as Calanthe stood and walked to him. “And she is older than you were when you became Queen. She will do just fine, and we will be here if she needs us. And I would gladly take care of anyone who gives Pavetta any problems. Besides, she has Duny to help her.”

Calanthe scoffed playfully at that as she carefully took Carena from Eist’s arms and kissed her on the cheek. All those moments lost with Pavetta still hurt deeply, but maybe she could have them with Carena after all.

\--

“I have never seen a baby enjoy her bath so much.” Calanthe mused as she and Eist leaned over the shallow tub that had been made just for Carena.

Carena did indeed enjoy her baths and was currently staring up at Calanthe and Eist with her eyes wide while she stretched her legs.

“That’s because she is half sea hound.” Eist whispered as he tapped Carena lightly on the nose and chuckled as she scrunched her face in response.

When finished, Eist changed into a lightweight linen shirt and matching pants while Calanthe gently rubbed shea butter into Carena’s skin. They had decided to take a walk in the gardens but waited until the late afternoon. At first, they had planned on taking her out earlier, but Eist was worried that the bright sun might hurt her eyes. After Calanthe slipped into a light, airy dress that flowed when she walked and swaddled Carena in a fresh blanket, they carefully made their way outside.

It was Carena’s first time outdoors, and Eist and Calanthe both laughed when they looked down at her after they first stepped outside to see her scrunch up her face and nestle further down into Calanthe’s arms.

“I don’t think she’s impressed.” Eist chuckled.

They made their way through the gardens slowly as Eist insisted on stopping and showing Carena every kind of flower that they passed. The bench at the very back of the garden was surrounded by full, white rose bushes and was warm from the sun as they sat. Eist leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment as Calanthe rested her head on his shoulder.

“It’s beautiful out here.” Calanthe whispered.

Eist pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Yes it is.”

Calanthe looked down then at Carena and noticed for the first time in the sunlight that her eyes had begun to turn blue. They were not as light as Eist’s but instead were deep and rich.

“Eist, look!” Calanthe said, her voice an octave higher than usual as she looked down at Carena. “You see that?” Calanthe asked.

“Her eyes?”

“Yes. I was hoping she would have your eyes. It looks like they just might end up that way.”

\--

It was a Cintran custom to have a banquet where a newborn prince or princess would be presented to the court exactly one month from the day they were born. Every nobleman in Cintra would be invited, as would every fellow monarch across the Continent. They were massive events, only competing with weddings and funerals in size and scale. Pavetta had taken it upon herself months ago to prepare for the banquet, which was lucky for Calanthe who did not enjoy planning banquets the way Pavetta did.

The banquet was in two weeks’ time, and today Pavetta had arranged for Calanthe and Eist to sample different foods so the menu could be finalized. After Calanthe fed Carena, Eist took her down to Mousesack while he was with Ciri giving her her writing lessons. Meanwhile, Yuri and Maren styled Calanthe’s hair and applied her makeup before helping her dress. It was the first time in a while that Calanthe had worn more than a basic dress and had her hair in a simple braid, and she had to admit that it felt good to get dressed up again.

Calanthe’s dress had just been finished being laced up the back when Eist returned. Her hair was in a crown braid and a low braided bun with one of her hair combs inserted just above it. She wore a light weight, loose fitting dark green dress that she had been gifted the last time she was in Skellige. After Yuri and Maren left, Calanthe held up her left hand. For a moment Eist looked at her questionably, until he noticed her ring was on her finger.

“It finally fits again.” Calanthe said with a grin.

Every day after the day Carena was born she tried to put her ring back on her finger only to instead put the ring back on the chain that Eist gave her and return it to her neck. Calanthe had tried to put it on again while Maren styled her hair and almost fell out of her chair when she was able to slip it back on.

Eist smiled before he kissed her. When he pulled away, Calanthe smirked as she thumbed her lipstick off of his lips.

\--

Eist led the way to the banquet hall and Calanthe quickly observed that if Eist took a second sample, that was his way of giving approval. The menu was decided quickly: suckling pig, wine braised chicken, swordfish, and oysters were all selected as was a large variety of vegetables and breads. Calanthe smirked as Eist made his way to sample the desserts, which were always his favorite.

Calanthe went to follow him, mainly to prevent Eist from eating all of the creampuffs before she could get a sample herself when Pavetta asked, “Mother, do you remember Jaskier?”

For a second, Calanthe felt her heart stop. She remembered the bard indeed. He was the same bard who had brought that bastard Witcher to Cintra.

“I do. I was the one who regretfully invited him to your betrothal feast after all. Why do you ask?” It took just a second for Calanthe to realize why Pavetta asked the question. Calanthe felt as though she might faint for a moment as her head spun. “Pavetta you didn’t. Tell me you didn’t invite him.”

“Why not? He was so well received the last time he was here.”

Calanthe felt herself begin to shake slightly. Pavetta would not have invited the bard, would she? Would she really risk the Witcher returning with him?

“Sorry I’m late darling.” Duny said as he walked up behind Pavetta and kissed her on the cheek as he pulled off his leather gloves. “The archery lesson went a little long and… what’s wrong?” Duny asked as he glanced from Pavetta to Calanthe.

“He was so well received? Really? Do you not remember who he brought with him the last time?” Calanthe felt she just might scream, but somehow managed to keep her voice steady.

“Of course I remember…”

“Do you? Do you really? Because if you do, I am trying to figure out why you invited him back?” Calanthe was all but screaming as her self control vanished by the second. “Out! Everyone out now!”

The chefs and servants scattered and all but tripped over each other as they ran from the banquet hall. Calanthe took a deep breath, but it did little to quell the anger in her voice. “What if he brings the Witcher back? Did you think of that?”

“Yes, I thought of it! I was worried about Geralt returning but I already discussed it with Jaskier. He has not seen Geralt in years and had no intentions of bringing him here even if he had.”

“And you believe him?”

“Yes. I believe him. Why would he lie?”

Calanthe was furious but stayed silent as her chest heaved with anger. Pavetta was so trusting, far too trusting according to Calanthe. if Jaskier had already been invited then it would stay that way, but his actions would have consequences if need be.

“Fine. But if that Witcher is seen anywhere near Cintra I will have his head and the bloody bards on a spike!”

And with that Calanthe stormed out of the banquet hall and slammed the door behind her. She was seething as she walked for a moment through the corridors until she decided that she would feel better if she hit something. Calanthe turned on her heels and quickly made her way to the training yard.

\--

Vissegerd took one look at Calanthe when she entered the yard and silently handed her his sword before quickly ushering everyone away.

Calanthe forgot about form and technique as she swung angrily. In her mind’s eye she pictured the Witcher’s face on the wooden target as she hacked at it wildly. How could Pavetta have been so reckless? The bard himself was fine and her guests did enjoy his music. Did she trust the Jaskier though? Calanthe did not, not enough to not bring the Witcher back to Cintra. What if Geralt had decided that he did in fact want to play by destinies rules and claim his child of surprise after all? Calanthe was not about to let that happen and she would kill him with her bare hands if that’s what it took to stop him from getting to Ciri.

Soon Eist found her, as he always did. Calanthe had begun to sweat and blew a wisp of her long bangs out of her eyes as her hair became undone. She swung hard and hit the target with so much force that it splintered in half and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Calanthe took a breath before turning to Eist. “I don’t want him anywhere near here, Eist.”

“The bard or the Witcher?”

Calanthe glared. “Both, preferably.”

“Ah.” Eist said as he nodded his head lightly. “And what exactly do you think the humble bard is going to do, besides entertain our guests?” Just as Calanthe opened her mouth to respond, Eist cut in again. “And before you answer, remember that Geralt will not be there.”

Calanthe sighed. “I don’t mind the idiot bard being here, not really, but I was serious about putting his head on a spike if he gives me a reason to.”

“How about I have extra guards posted around the castle and in the banquet hall. Would that make you feel better?” Eist asked gently as he walked to Calanthe.

Calanthe nodded. Her anger towards Pavetta was fading and disappeared entirely when Eist pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“We should get Carena.” Calanthe whispered as she leaned against as he wrapped his arms around her.

“We will. After you apologize to Pavetta.”

Calanthe pulled back then and gave Eist a pointed look.

“You know she would never put Ciri in danger. And she has not only been overseeing your kingdom for you, but she has been arranging for our daughters’ banquet.”

Eist was right, as he always was.

“Alright, alright. I’ll apologize.”

\--

Calanthe and Eist found Pavetta and Duny in their sitting room beside each other near the fire. When Calanthe saw Pavetta’s face, she realized just how badly she had hurt her. Pavetta’s eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her face looked worn and tired. Duny stood as Calanthe approached and made his way to where Eist was standing near the door as Calanthe wrapped her arms around Pavetta. Calanthe was not sorry for how she felt and had not changed her mind on not trusting the bard, but she was sorry for hurting Pavetta.

“I’m sorry that I yelled.” Calanthe said as Pavetta’s eyes began to water, followed closely by Calanthe’s.

“I would never do anything to hurt Ciri.” Pavetta said as she began to cry.

“I know, I know.” Calanthe said softly as she continued to hug Pavetta.

For a moment they continued to hug in silence.

“Do you really think Geralt would come back? You banished him and told him he was never allowed in Cintra ever again.” Pavetta said as they broke apart.

“Yes, but that does not mean that he may one day wake up and decide that he wants to claim his child of surprise.” Calanthe said softly.

“Should I try to cancel Jaskier? I don’t know if my letter would find him though, he is most likely on his way.”

“It’s fine.” Calanthe said calmly.

The longer Calanthe sat on the idea of Jaskier returning, the better she felt about it. In a way she almost hoped the Witcher tried to come back.

“If the Witcher comes, he will first have to get through the extra guards that Eist will have posted. If he manages that, he will have to contend with Bran, Crach, Duny, Eist, myself, and then you.”

“I would have thought you would have been the last line of defense.” Pavetta said jokingly as she sniffled.

Calanthe smiled softly. “No, sweetheart. You’re her mother, you are her last line of defense, not me. Besides, I don’t think the Witcher could make it through that scream of yours.”

\--

Despite the fact that the mornings were Eist’s time with Carena, Calanthe loved the mornings as well. She slept with her back to Eist, which she did not prefer, but it was the only way she could wake and have Carena in her line of sight. But nothing compared to waking to Carena sleeping soundly on her father’s chest. It never seemed to matter how tired Eist was, or how little sleep he had gotten the night before from waking with Calanthe to feed her. He was always up before Calanthe, and always cuddling with Carena with his left hand resting gently on her back, leaving his right arm free to wrap around Calanthe when she would snuggle up to the side of Eist’s chest.

Later that morning, as the guests began to first arrive, Eist and Calanthe ate by themselves in their sitting room. Afterward, Eist left, but would not say why. Calanthe thought it odd but was soon distracted by her hungry daughter. Calanthe was still feeding her when Yuri and Maren came to her chambers, each carrying wrapped packages while Maren also carried white roses.

Calanthe had commissioned a new dress be made for the banquet. In part it was due to the fact that she still could not fit into the formal gowns she already had, but also, she wanted something different to surprise Eist.

“You have the gown?” Calanthe asked.

“I do, as well as the shoes.” Yuri said as she motioned to the package in Maren’s hands.

“And Eist’s outfit?”

“Yes, your Majesty. It’s all here.”

“And what are the roses for?”

“I was thinking we could try them in your hair, your Majesty.” Maren said. “I have an idea for styling your hair for tonight and I think these roses would look nice in it.”

Calanthe smiled as Yuri unpackaged the dress and held it up. It was exactly what she wanted. The dress was sleeveless and made out of pure white silk with the exception of a strip of navy blue that lined the very edges of the front and back cowl, which was low in the front, ending in the middle of her chest, and ended even deeper down her back. The dress had a slight train that would trail a just slightly on the floor. It was simple, and far more revealing than what she would typically wear. Not only did she think Eist would enjoy it, but it was practical. The weather had become steadily warmer in the summer months, and the banquet hall full of people even with open windows would be sweltering. She also had to think of feeding her daughter. Wearing a gown that she needed help taking off to feed her every few hours would not work. With it came a pair of simple heeled silver shoes that Maren held up.

“Is it to your liking, your Majesty?” Yuri asked.

“It is exactly what I wanted.”

After showing Calanthe the swaddling cloth for Carena that matched her dress, Yuri hung the gown in the dressing room and came back to show Calanthe Eist’s outfit.

It was a deep navy brocade, matching the navy on Calanthe’s dress and lining on Carena’s swaddling blanket. The doublet was short sleeved and a mixture of navy and silk fabrics with gold buckles and navy leather fasteners going down the side. The linen long sleeve shirt to go underneath was also navy and was made to be slightly opened at the top. With it came a pair of simple dark brown pants, brown leather knee-high boots, and a matching brown leather belt with gold buckle to wear over the doublet.

This time Yuri did not ask if Calanthe liked it. Calanthe’s smile was enough to answer the unasked question. Eist’s outfit was hung and it was agreed that Yuri would find Lanx to inform him that Eist would be getting ready in a different set of chambers so Calanthe could surprise Eist. After Yuri and Maren left, Calanthe pushed all the pillows off the bed, and laid Carena, who had already fallen asleep, down beside her and promptly fell asleep herself.

\--

Calanthe woke to being kissed, rather passionately, by Eist. She smiled lazily when he pulled away and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, Eist was holding a long, skinny wooden box out to her.

“What’s this?” Calanthe asked sleepily as she sat up in bed.

“Open it.” Eist whispered.

Calanthe looked at him, wondering what exactly Eist was handing her. There was a gold clasp on the front of the box, which Calanthe popped open as she set it on the bed in front of her. When she opened it, she let out a gasp.

It was the most magnificent sword she had ever seen. It was made as ornately as a fine piece of jewelry, complete with Skelligan pearls, made to look like gold rope covered hilt, a Cintran blue grip, and ending with a magnificent lions’ paw pommel, matching her armor perfectly. Calanthe was more careful than she had ever been with a sword as she picked it up and carefully turned it in her hands.

“It’s beautiful.” Calanthe whispered.

“It’s not just ceremonial, unless you want it to be. You can also fight with it if you wish.”

Calanthe glanced down at the sword again. It was exquisite, truly a work of art. And she could not understand why Eist had given it to her.

“Darling, this is truly exquisite. But why did you give this to me?”

Eist leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips before nodding towards Carena’s bassinet. “It is a Skelligan tradition to give the mother of your child a birthing gift. And besides, you made that perfect little daughter of ours. I think a sword is the least I can give you. A sword, and this.” Eist said as he reached around and picked up a smaller box.

Calanthe looked at Eist as though he had lost his mind before she carefully placed the sword back in its box before taking the second box from him.

“Another gift?” Calanthe asked as she looked back up at Eist.

“I couldn’t decide between the two.” Eist said sheepishly as he shrugged.

Calanthe chuckled as she shook her head lightly while she opened the box. This time she stayed silent as her eyes went wide and filled with tears.

It was hard to say which was more magnificent, the crown or the sword. The crown was gold, with a band that was wrapped in several pieces of gold metal to look as though it were rope, just like her ring and sword. This was no doubt Cranton’s work. The metal rope was thicker in the front and became thinner as it curved around the back. In the very center sat a massive sapphire on top of the rope, and on either side sat Skelligan pearls, just slightly smaller than the sapphire. Sapphires and pearls continued every other the whole way to the back of the crown, ending with the pearls.

Calanthe looked up at him as a tear dripped down her cheek. Just as she went to speak, she bit her lip softly before looking down and carefully lifting the crown out of the box.

“This is stunning.” Calanthe whispered when she held it up and carefully turned it in her hands.

She slowly ran her fingertips over the stones and pearls, a perfect representation of their union, as was her ring and sword.

“You designed this yourself, didn’t you?” Eist only nodded his head. “And the sword as well?” Eist nodded again. “Those drawings that we put in Carena’s bedchamber, when you first showed them to me at the very bottom was a sketch that you didn’t want me to see. You were sketching these, weren’t you?”

“Yes.” Eist said softly.

Calanthe teared up again as she quickly stood from the bed while carrying her crown. She went to her vanity and looked into the looking glass as she carefully placed it on her head. It was the most beautiful crown she had ever seen, made only better by the fact that Eist had designed it just for her.

“Do you like it?” Eist asked as he stood and slowly walked behind Calanthe before pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

“I love it.” Calanthe said back firmly as she looked at him through the looking glass.

“I do not have a gift for you though.”

Calanthe felt horrible. She was aware of many Skelligan traditions, but not this one.

“What are you talking about?” Eist asked through a chuckle. Calanthe turned to face him as Eist placed his hands on her hips. “You’re not supposed to give me a gift. Carena is the gift. My love, you carried her for nine months, birthed her, and now feed her. And you know what I did?”

Eist was so blindly unaware of every little thing he did for Calanthe, for he did so without thought of receiving anything in return.

“Well, for a start, you cared for me and you still are.” Calanthe said softly.

“Yes, but that’s what I should do. And what I was going to say is all I did was have a lot of fun helping you make her.” Eist said playfully. Calanthe gave Eist a pointed look before laughing and smacking him on the arm. “Well it certainly was fun.” Eist said as he wrapped his arms around Calanthe and pulled her against him. “But you did all the work, and you deserve all the gifts in the world for it.”

Calanthe pulled away from Eist. There was one gift she could give him now that he was sure to enjoy. It had been over a month since she last slept with Eist, and there were still another two weeks that they had to wait. Despite her exhaustion, Calanthe did miss it and often fell asleep at night pushing away thoughts of Eist pulling her into his arms and making love to her. Even though there were still two weeks left, there were other things they could be doing, and Calanthe thought it was about time they started.

She silently took him by the hand and led him to the sitting room, leaving their bedchamber door open a jar. When they reached the couch, Calanthe pushed him onto it before locking the main door to their chambers.

“It’s been a while since we’ve enjoyed each other.” Calanthe whispered as she walked towards Eist and quickly stripped off her robe and revealing that she wore nothing underneath which elicited a groan from Eist.

“Well, we have been a little busy.” Eist said huskily as Calanthe lowered herself to her knees in front of him.

“That’s true.” Calanthe whispered as she slowly untied his pants. “We have been busy, but I am in need of my husband right now.”

“We have to wait two more weeks.”

“We do, but you know as well as I that there are plenty of ways we can satisfy each other until then.”

Eist was straining against his pants before she had them pulled down his legs. After they were gone and his shirt off, Eist settled back into the couch as Calanthe took him fully into her mouth. He groaned as she lifted her head and traced him with her tongue from the base of his shaft to the very tip. Calanthe glanced up to see that Eist’s eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. She smirked before swirling her tongue around his head as her hand pumped up and down. Eist’s hands were in her hair and Calanthe knew he was close. She took him fully in her mouth again and felt him pulse. She gagged a little when she lifted her mouth off of him and took a breath before taking him back in her mouth again. This time when he pulsed, he came down her throat as he groaned loudly.

Calanthe missed the look on Eist’s face. He looked so satisfied that he could fall asleep at any moment. Instead he leaned down and pulled Calanthe onto his lap. She had been wet before they started but was now dripping.

Her dress was gone in a flash as Eist whispered, “And in what ways do you wish to be satisfied, my love?”

There was something she wanted to try but needed Eist to be ready again first. She glanced down silently and took him in her hand as she began to quickly pump up and down. Despite him just finishing, it did not take him long to be ready again.

“We can’t.” Eist groaned.

That was not her intention, but Gods did she want too.

“I know.” Calanthe said through a heavy breath. “But there is more than one way this can satisfy me. Lay on your back.”

Calanthe climbed off of Eist just long enough for him to lay on his back. As soon as he was down, she straddled him again. Calanthe smirked as she looked at Eist, whose eyes had gone dark as he watched her. She took him in her hand and pressed him against his stomach as she positioned herself above him. She took a moment to lower herself so her clit was grazing against his shaft. They had not tried this before, at least not with her on top and Gods did it feel wonderful. Within moments, Calanthe came so hard she swore she saw stars as she screamed. When she collapsed against his chest, she was shuddering from the strength of her orgasm. Calanthe caught her breath as the stars faded and was suddenly flipped onto her back.

Eist kissed her calves as he spread her legs and tapped her clit with the very tip of him. Calanthe let out a yelp as her legs snapped shut involuntarily from the intensity of the pleasure she felt.

“Oh fuck that feels good.” She breathed out.

They had not tried that before, and for the life of her Calanthe did not know why. She opened her legs as they began to shake as Eist continued tapping against her. The second orgasm came just as quickly as the first, and this time she felt her juices flow out of her as she thrusted her hips mindlessly against him. Calanthe came once more, this time with Eist’s tongue swirling circles around her clit. Afterward, she took Eist into her mouth and finished him a second time.

A few moments passed before they made their way on shaking legs to their bedchamber and collapsed. After laying there for a few moments, they both pulled the pillows from the floor and put them against the headboard, giving something for Eist to rest against. For the first time in a month, Calanthe curled into Eist’s arms and against his chest. And for the first time in a month, Calanthe truly felt comfortable.

“I missed that.” Calanthe whispered playfully as Eist traced her spine with his fingertips.

“I am yours for the taking any time you see fit.” Eist whispered back.

Calanthe chuckled and for a few moments they laid in silence as sleep washed over them.

“We’ve never gone that long without pleasing each other.” Eist whispered as he kissed Calanthe on the forehead.

“I know. And I propose we never do that again.”

“I agree whole heartedly.” Eist whispered back playfully. “Only two more weeks…”

“Until we can have all the hanky panky we want.”

Laughter rolled through Eist’s chest as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

“Yes, my love. Two more weeks until hanky panky.” Eist said as he continued to laugh. “I love you.”

“I love you two.” Calanthe whispered.

Somehow, they had managed to not wake Carena, and soon the both of them were fast asleep, getting a final nap in before the start of the banquet.


	33. Chapter 17A - Eist

**Chapter 17A – Eist**

**Year 1256**

Eist considered having the act of knocking on their bedchamber door declared an act of treason when he was awoken a few hours after he and Calanthe had fallen asleep. His body felt heavy and he was certain he had not entirely recovered from their escapades on the couch earlier that day. Calanthe was still pressed against his chest with his arms wrapped around her, and the warm weight of her body against his felt far too good to pull away from. Just as Eist closed his eyes again, intent on ignoring the incessant knocking at their door, Calanthe began to stir against him.

“The banquet can wait.” Eist grumbled, loud enough for whoever was knocking on their door to hear.

Calanthe chuckled softly as she began to pull out of Eist’s arms and sit up. The sudden absence of her body against his was rather unwelcome, so Eist sat up himself in time to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her back against him before she could stand.

“They can’t start without us.” Eist breathed out.

He pulled her gently, and his arms were loose around her waist as she laid against him again. Eist smirked for a moment, knowing full well if Calanthe truly wanted to get up, she could have easily pulled away from him.

“Alright.” Calanthe whispered. Eist sighed softly as he nuzzled his nose against hers before she lifted her head and turned it towards the door before calling out “fifteen more minutes”.

Within moments, Eist was asleep again, and within a few more moments, he was awoken with another knock. This time he did get up, despite how badly he wanted to spend the rest of the day in bed with his wife.

Eist had barely stretched and slipped his robe on when the door opened and Calanthe was quickly ushered into the privy chamber by Yuri and Maren. Lanx followed them into the bedchamber, went to the dressing room to get what Eist assumed was what he was wearing tonight, and was then all but pushed out of their chambers.

“Do you want to tell me where were going, and what exactly we are doing?”

“It is at her Majesty’s insistence that you bathe and dress separately from her.” Lanx said as he opened the door to an empty set of chambers that was currently used as guest quarters.

“Her insistence?” Eist asked as he furrowed his brow.

“Yes, now get into the bath. That beard of yours needs cleaned up, if you wish to keep it, and your hair needs cut badly.”

Eist rolled his eyes as Lanx turned around so Eist could disrobe and climb into the tub. “Yes, I am keeping the beard. The Queen would have my head if I had you shave it off.” Eist said as he leaned his head back for a moment to relax.

After scrubbing himself clean and washing his hair, Eist sat in a chair nearby the window while Lanx carefully trimmed and cleaned up his beard, leaving it full but cut shorter than it had been. His hair was cut next, short around the back and sides but kept longer on top and Eist ran the smallest amount of shea butter through it to push it back. His evening attire came next, which he had not seen before. Calanthe had asked if she could decide what he would wear this evening weeks ago, and Eist was more than happy to have her pick it out for him.

Soon Eist’s shirt, doublet, and pants were on, his belt buckled, and his boots laced. Just as Eist went to leave to head back to his bedchamber, Lanx insisted that his boots be polished one last time. While Eist complied and sat again in the same chair by the window that his beard and hair were trimmed in, he suspected that Lanx was only stalling. Eist gave him ten minutes before standing, thanking Lanx, and then making his way back to his bedchamber.

When Eist walked through their chamber doors, he made a beeline for the bedchamber. He attempted to enter without knocking but was quickly pushed out of the doorway by Maren.

“Just a few more moments, your Majesty.” Maren said as she shut the door.

Eist sighed as he turned on his heels to stand near the fire while he picked at his nails. A few moments later, Yuri and Maren left the bedchamber, shut the door behind them, bowed to Eist, and then excused themselves. Eist stood and stared at the door, waiting for it to open. The door did not open however, so Eist turned away then and put his hands on his hips, assuming Calanthe was not quite finished with whatever she was doing just yet. Not only was he growing hungry, but he was becoming restless at the thought of seeing her. He did not hear the door when it opened, but instead only turned back around at the sound of Calanthe clearing her throat.

Eist’s breath caught as his eyes went wide. He was not sure what he had been expecting, but it certainly was not as good as this. Calanthe was dressed in a white silk gown that clung to her curves and showed off just how much her pregnancy had accentuated them. The gown was sleeveless and draped low in the front, revealing much more of her body than she typically did. In that moment, Eist knew he would have a very hard time tearing his eyes away from her tonight. A broad smile came over his face when he glanced down to see Carena swaddled in a matching white blanket with navy piping. Eist flicked his gaze up and noticed for the first time that she was wearing the crown he had given her. His eyes flicked back over her again and he decided that the only time she looked better was when she was wearing nothing at all.

When their eyes met again, Calanthe wore a sly smirk on her face. Eist all but dove across the sitting room so he could wrap his arms around her waist.

“You look absolutely beautiful.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss just below her ear before trailing to her lips.

“You look quite handsome yourself.” Calanthe breathed out when Eist pulled back.

Eist looked down to see Carena sleeping soundly in her mother’s arms and wondered what on the Continent he had done to have a daughter as sweet as her.

“And you look absolutely precious.” Eist whispered as Calanthe handed him Carena. “You even match your mother.”

\--

Per usual, Calanthe and Eist, along with Carena, were the last to be announced by the herald. As they made their way inside with linked arms, the hall went silent until they reached their seats. Cintran banquets always involved a large number of guests, but there were far more people in attendance than Eist had anticipated. He glanced around as he and Calanthe made their way to the high table and noticed the he did not recognize many of the guests.

The swords that Eist had ordered were placed in the backs of several seats at the table, including his own chair as well as Calanthe’s. When reviewing the seating with Pavetta at her insistence, it was Eist’s idea to have the high table fuller than it normally was, and it was also his idea to have Vissegerd sit with them. Vissegerd was an immensely loyal man, and while Eist was not only more than pleased to have him sit with the rest of his family, he also knew anyone, including the Witcher, would have a very hard time getting through him to get to Ciri. Eist pulled out Calanthe’s chair for her when they reached their seats before sitting down on her left side as he always did, leaving the right for Pavetta.

Pavetta came gliding through the crowd then followed closely by Mousesack, Crach, and Bran.

“Crach, you are on the end, followed by Bran, and Mousesack, you are closest to Eist.” Pavetta said as she pointed them to their seats.

“Well, Mother? What do you think?” Pavetta asked Calanthe while Eist surveyed the room.

The only things he had been involved in in preparation for the banquet was the food tasting and deciding who would sit at his table with a sword. The rest was left to be a surprise, and Eist had to admit he was impressed.

“It looks wonderful! I believe you have outdone yourself.” Calanthe said as Pavetta made her way around the table and sat down. “I must admit I’m impressed with who you have invited.”

“I’d hoped you’d be. It was why I insisted on keeping it such a secret.”

For a moment Eist wondered who Calanthe was talking about as he scanned the banquet hall. He recognized King Foltest, seated to the table on the left side of the hall across from the Skelligan tables. A woman sat with him, who also wore a crown, but Eist did not recognize her and wondered if Foltest had married.

Duny and Ciri approached the table then and Ciri first trotted over to Calanthe and Eist to press a kiss to each of their cheeks, then kissed Carena lightly on the forehead before letting Duny pick her up to place her in her seat in between himself and Pavetta.

“Who is sitting at the end?” Calanthe asked.

“Oh, you mean the other chair with a sword.” Pavetta responded sarcastically.

Eist glanced up to see Vissegerd approach the table and take to his knee.

“I am, your Majesty. The king and princess asked me to join your table, but I only will if it suits you.”

“Of course.” Calanthe said as she bowed her head lightly to him, which was an immense show of respect from a Monarch.

With everyone seated at the high table, Pavetta took to her feet to make a toast.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the court and honored guests, we welcome you to Cintra. As you know, we are here to celebrate the birth of my sister, the Princess Carena of Cintra and Skellige.”

The guests burst into applause and cheering before returning to their conversations.

Carena began to fuss in Eist’s arms as she stretched her little arms out while she left out a slight cry. Eist began to rock her gently when Calanthe said, “Thank you for asking Vissegerd to join us.”

Eist looked up and smirked for a moment. “I thought it would put your mind at ease to have him close to Ciri.”

“It does, but perhaps he should sit with us more often. He has been so loyal after all.”

“Whatever you want, my love.” Eist whispered.

Everyone except Calanthe and his daughter seemed to fade away then. Eist leaned towards Calanthe, intent on kissing her. Just as he was inches from her lips, he stopped himself, remembering where he was. For just a moment, he thought he saw a look of disappointment flash across Calanthe’s face as Eist pulled away.

“Feel like showing her off?” Calanthe asked softly while Carena’s fussing calmed and stared up at Eist with her big blue eyes.

“Of course.” Eist said as he stood.

“Good, because there is someone that I would like you to meet.”

Jaskier’s timing could not have been worse as he stepped in front of Calanthe while she made her way down the few steps to the lower level of the banquet hall. She stopped in her tracks with Eist close behind her and he could see through the cut of her dress how much her shoulders tensed when she saw him.

Jaskier bowed as he said, “Your Majesty, it is an honor to be back in your magnif…”

“Fuck off, bard.” Calanthe spat out before marching away.

“Welcome back to Cintra” was the only thing Eist could think to say as he stifled a laugh.

“Her Majesty does not seem pleased to have me here.” Jaskier said, and Eist noticed then just how upset he looked.

For a second Eist wondered what the bard had been expecting though. The Queen was never going to welcome him back with open arms.

“She is definitely not pleased to have you here. I can assure you of that. But don’t worry, the guests are certainly enjoying it. Besides, Pavetta has always enjoyed your music. That was why you were at her betrothal banquet after all.” Eist said as he tried to think of anything he could say to make Jaskier feel better without outright lying to him.

“Well I am pleased that Princess Pavetta enjoys it.” Jaskier said happily. “And I can see that her daughter is doing well. I cannot believe it has been that long since…”

“Don’t.” Eist said, his voice sharp as he cut Jaskier off. “Don’t talk about it if you value your head. Ciri is happy and doing well. You know what will happen to you and the Witcher if you threaten that.”

Jaskier took a breath as fear fell across his face, followed quickly by Eist feeling guilty for causing it.

“Don’t tell the Queen this, but I’ve always liked your music is well if that makes you feel better.” Eist said before making his way to Calanthe as she spoke to the woman wearing a crown that was seated with Foltest while Jaskier beamed at the prospect of a king enjoying his ballads.

\--

As Eist approached Calanthe and the crowned woman, he realized who it most likely was, her cousin, Queen Meve of Lyria. He had never met her, but Calanthe had described her before. They looked similar, yet entirely different at the same time. The woman’s hair was a deep golden color, far darker and richer than Pavetta and Ciri’s pale blonde hair. Calanthe was more animated than she typically was, speaking to the crowned woman as you would an old friend.

“You’re Meve, I take it?” Eist asked when he walked up.

“I am. And you are my cousin’s husband. I see she chose well. She wrote to me how handsome you are, and I see she did not exaggerate.”

Eist smirked at the thought of Calanthe bragging about him in a letter to her beloved cousin, but even as his eyes met Calanthe’s and he noticed she was smirking as well, he did not entirely know how to respond.

“Thank you…” Eist said slowly as he looked from Meve to Calanthe before winking and handing Carena over to her.

Once Carena was nestled in her arms, Calanthe turned back to Meve.

“She is beautiful.” Meve said as she looked down at Carena. “She’s starting to look like you.”

Eist lightly caressed his fingertip over Calanthe’s hand then for just a moment. Her dress was proving to be as distracting as he suspected it would be and he so badly wanted to kiss her but would have to settle for touching her hand for now. Calanthe’s hand was around his waist then, and he jumped slightly at the sudden display of affection. It was welcome, but very unexpected. Their eyes met then and he understood without speaking that she was giving him permission to put his arm around her too.

\--

Servants began to bring out the food soon after and a bell was rung by the herald, signaling everyone to begin to return to their seats. Jaskier and his band of men played lively tunes while everyone ate, keeping the atmosphere light. Calanthe held Carena in one arm while she ate, despite Eist’s insistence that he hold her till she finished. The timing was perfect, for just as Calanthe set her own fork down, Carena began to scrunch up her face. Calanthe pressed her hand to Eist’s knee before quickly making her way to the room hidden behind the tapestries. Eist took another bite before standing and following her.

\--

Carena had just latched when Eist quietly entered the room and shut the door behind him.

“It’s okay, you know. You can stay out there if you wish.” Calanthe said as Eist sat down beside her while he slipped his arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.

Eist chuckled. “You know I would much rather be here with the two of you.”

\--

It took a half hour for Carena to finish, and by the time Eist and Calanthe made their way back to the banquet hall, dessert was being set out and dancing had begun. As they made their way to the table, a particularly large platter of cream puffs was set in front of Eist’s seat.

“My favorite.” Eist whispered as he took Carena from Calanthe’s arms. “I can’t wait for you to try these when you are old enough, little one.”

When Calanthe approached the table, she looked over the back of Ciri’s seat and noticed she was missing.

“Where is she? Is she with her mother?” Calanthe asked urgently as she looked over at Vissegerd.

“No, your Majesty. The prince and princess are dancing.” Vissegerd said as he nodded towards the center of the banquet hall. “Princess Cirilla is speaking with the bard right now.”

Eist had just begun to eat a cream puff when he glanced up to see Jaskier talking to Ciri. They were in the far corner of the banquet hall, so while Eist had no idea what Jaskier was saying, he was sure it involved a rather exaggerated tale due to how animated he was acting as he spoke. Eist blinked and then suddenly Calanthe was already halfway across the banquet hall. For a moment Eist was convinced that Calanthe would simply kill the bard right then and there.

Calanthe had many talents, but hiding her anger was not one of them. Eist turned to Mousesack, who was thankfully still at the table eating desserts with Crach and Bran.

“Here, take her.”

“Your majesty?” Mousesack questioned as he dropped his fork with a bite of uneaten cake still on it as Eist handed him Carena.

“I’ll be right back.”

“What’s wrong, Uncle?” Crach asked as he finished yet another mule of ale that evening.

Eist went to respond but looked up and saw Calanthe begin to walk away from the bard holding Ciri’s hand, only for Ciri to suddenly yank her hand away.

“Is something wrong over there?” Crach asked as he followed Eist’s gaze and stood from his chair. “Does that bard need smacked upside the head?”

“I’ll take care of it. Just stay here with your cousin.” Eist said as he quickly made his way across the banquet hall without drawing attention to himself.

When he reached them, Calanthe was seething, Jaskier was all but huddled in the corner of the hall, and Ciri was throwing a fit.

“Take her.” Calanthe said through a deep breath as she glanced at Eist.

“Are you sure? I can talk to him.”

“Take her, Eist.”

The rage in her tone was prevalent, as was the authority of a Queen. Eist looked down at Ciri, who had her arms crossed over her chest, and in one swoop picked her up with one arm and carried her back to the banquet table.

Ciri kicked wildly for a moment, but quickly gave up. They passed Pavetta and Duny, who were still dancing but stopped and began to follow Eist as he carried Ciri.

“What happened?” Pavetta asked as Eist plopped Ciri in her seat.

“The Queen does not wish for the bard to speak to Ciri.” Eist said as Ciri crossed her arms over her chest again.

“Why not?” Ciri shrieked.

“Because,” Eist said slowly as he bent down on one knee to meet Ciri at her eye level “Your Grandmother says so.”

“Well where are they now?” Duny asked.

Eist looked up to see that Calanthe and Jaskier were indeed gone from the banquet hall.

“Great.” Eist muttered, more to himself than anyone. “Let me go find them before she puts his head on a spike.”

“Wait,” Pavetta called softly just as Eist walked down the few stairs from the high table. “You cannot honestly believe that Jaskier would harm Ciri. The Witcher is not even here, just as Jaskier said he would not be.”

Eist sighed for a moment. “No, I do not believe the bard has ill intentions. As for the Witcher not being here, the night is still young. But Pavetta, you must understand your mother will always see Jaskier as a threat.”

Pavetta sighed as she lightly nodded her head. Eist turned on his heal then and once again walked across the banquet hall and out the double doors, hoping that Calanthe had not already dragged the bard to the gate keep.

\--

To Eist’s surprise, Calanthe and Jaskier were just outside the double doors, although the guards were noticeably gone. The bard still had his head though, which was a good sign at least.

“Is everything alright?” Eist asked when he reached Calanthe’s side.

“Everything is fine. We were just finished.” Calanthe said as she looked up at Eist before turning back to Jaskier. “Come, bard. We have guests that would so love to be entertained by your ballads.”

Calanthe took Eist’s arm as they turned to enter the banquet hall again. Just as Eist opened the door, Calanthe stopped and turned back to Jaskier.

“And one more thing, do not speak to my granddaughter of the Witcher again. She does not need her head filled with such nonsense.”

\--

Jaskier did go on to play his merry tunes and sing his ballads as dancing resumed in the banquet hall. Crach, Bran, and Mousesack had gone off to converse with the other Skelligan’s as Pavetta spoke to King Foltest and Queen Meve while Duny danced with Ciri standing on his feet. Vissegerd patrolled the banquet hall, being ever vigilant, leaving Calanthe and Eist at the high table with Carena.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Eist asked again.

“I’m fine. I informed the bard as to what my intentions are with the Witcher and reminded him as to what will happen if he returns to Cintra. At this point I almost hope he comes back. At least that way I could end this once…”

“Fuck.” Eist whispered softly, cutting Calanthe off.

Lord Hilqvuest was making his way across the banquet hall, looking directly at Eist as he did so. On his best days Eist was barely able to tolerate the Cintran lord, but today, on the day that his daughter was presented to the court, was not a day to test that tolerance.

Just as Hilqvuest reached them and began to open his mouth, Eist switched to holding Carena with one arm and held the other up, stopping him.

“Don’t.”

“Your Majesty?” Hilqvuest asked with a rather confused look on his face. “I wanted to give my congratulations on the birth of another Cintran princess.”

Hilqvuest could not have been more obvious, which was most likely his intention, when he emphasized the word “another” as he looked at Calanthe. For a moment Eist thought about punching him in the face, but while the thought was enjoyable, he refrained.

“Your congratulations, although not genuine, is noted. Step away from the table.”

“Your Majesty…”

Hilqvuest had overstayed his welcome and caused Eist to run out of patience by the mere act of not following Eist’s command. He gently handed Carena to Calanthe before he stood. “Lord Hilqvuest, you have made your intentions well known with how you feel about the princess.” He spoke slowly and clearly as he carefully enunciated his words while he walked around the table. “Make no mistake, I have no intention on playing politics with you. If you speak poorly of the princess, or the Queen again for that matter, then I will address you however I see fit.” Fear quickly began to spread across Hilqvuest’s face as Eist towered over him while he circled him. “Now, Lord Hilqvuest, I will only tell you this one more time. Step away from the table, now.”

Eist blinked and took a breath, doing all he could to push away the anger that was surging through him. He turned then to face Calanthe, who to his surprised, looked amused. She shook her head lightly then, and the amusement fell from her face.

“I know, I know.” Eist said when their eyes met before making his way back around to sit beside her. “I wasn’t supposed to do that.”

“No, you were not.” Calanthe said softly as Eist sat down. “But I’m glad you did.”

Eist leaned towards her again, just like he had earlier, but stopped as he once again resisted the urge to kiss her.

“Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe said, his name a question.

Eist glanced back up at her from where he had turned his gaze to his plate.

“Kiss me. Your Queen commands it.”

“There are an awful lot of people here, my Queen.” Eist whispered as he smirked at her.

“Yes, there are. And you are no doubt about to make a few of them jealous.”

Eist leaned forward and for a moment expected her to pull back, only she didn’t. His kiss was gentle, yet firm, and he lingered for a moment before pulling away to look into her eyes. Calanthe sighed, so softly it was barely noticeable.

\--

The night drifted on and Carena was fed again and changed soon after by Eist. Song and dance continued, as did drinking and games. A few guests had left, but most were still in attendance and becoming steadily more and more drunk. Eist took Foltest and joined the Skelligan table for a few rounds of arm wrestling and shots of vodka while Calanthe took Carena to sit with Meve again.

Eist had just won yet another arm-wrestling contest with Crach when a servant approached with a tray of mules of beer. He took one without looking at the servant but turned when she quietly cleared her throat.

“Do you remember me?” The servant woman asked quietly.

The woman looked familiar in a way, but he could not place her. “I’m afraid I don’t.”

Draig, drunk out of his mind, piped up from the other end of the table “Is that your side woman?”

Crach smacked Draig hard on the back of the head just as Eist turned to look at him. “I believe that is the stupidest question you have ever asked. Now shut the fuck up before I kick your ass the whole way back to Skellige.”

When Eist turned to look at the servant again she was already on the opposite side of the banquet hall and clearing empty platters away. He turned away to see that Calanthe was bidding goodnight to Meve and all but ran to her side as she made her way with Carena in her arms back to the high table. And just like that, he forgot all about the servant woman.

“I take it your having fun?” Calanthe asked as Eist sat down and swayed in his seat.

The vodka was kicking in a little more now.

“I am, my love.” Eist whispered lazily. “And I hope you are as well.”

The night rolled on and the tension from earlier slowly began to fade away. Eist eventually insisted on dancing and all but dragged Calanthe to the center of the banquet hall in time to twirl her around as Jaskier started a new tune.

It was after midnight when they first walked with Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny back to their chambers before finally making their way back to their own with Carena sleeping in Eist’s arms. As they walked, Calanthe slinked her arm around Eist’s waist and leaned her head against his arm.

\--

Eist all but leapt out of bed with excitement. It had been months since he had visited Skellige, and today was to be Carena’s first voyage there. Just as in Cintra, a banquet was arranged to take place in Skellige to present the newborn princess to the court. To make things better, the entire family was set to go to Skellige. The weather was warm, the skies were clear, and the wind was on their side. Calanthe was currently looking out over the deck into the open sea, Pavetta and Duny were sitting on a bench, and Mousesack was speaking to the crew. Meanwhile Eist held Carena in one arm and Ciri’s hand in the other has he walked them up and down the ship. He had just reached Calanthe and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek when he looked up and saw them.

Dolphins. And entire school of dolphins was leaping through the water beside them.

“Look at that?” Eist said as he motioned his head towards the water.

Calanthe smirked as Ciri yelled, “I cannot see, Grandpapa!”

Eist chuckled as he glanced down, forgetting for a moment that Ciri was not nearly tall enough to see over the wooden rails yet. Before he could pick Ciri up though, Calanthe swooped in, picked Ciri up herself, and held her on her hip as she pointed out towards the dolphins.

\--

Their arrival in Skellige was timely, and they were greeted happily by Crach, Bran, and to Eist’s surprise, Birna, as they docked.

“I’m surprised Birna is here.” Calanthe whispered as the gang plank was dropped.

“So am I.” Eist whispered back as he adjusted Carena in his arms.

It did not take long to realize why Birna had come to greet them. She apparently had a particular fondness for babies, and later on that day she went as far as to show Calanthe how she could make a sling out of a long strip of cotton fabric for Carena while Eist stood close by and watched so he would remember how to do it himself.

“Well she appears to be comfortable.” Eist whispered as he took a step towards Calanthe while Carena slept, wrapped snuggly and pressed against Calanthe’s chest.

“Yes, I believe she is.” Calanthe whispered back as Eist bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“This really is wonderful.” Calanthe said after Eist pulled away. “Now I can have her close and still have my hands free. I should be able to head to the training yard now.” Calanthe joked.

Eist did a double take in the looking glass as Calanthe chuckled. “I’m kidding, darling. Although I do want to begin training again.”

Eist smirked as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s temple.

“Oh, by the way, do you realize what today is?” Calanthe asked as Eist stepped away from her.

Eist stopped as he pondered what she meant. It took him a few moments, but then he realized what she was referring too. It was six weeks to the day since Carena was born, which is exactly how long Mousesack had suggested that they wait. Eist grinned as he glanced over his shoulder to Calanthe before quickly leaving their chambers.

Eist returned soon after with Pavetta in tow and it was agreed that Carena would sleep in Pavetta’s chambers that night.

\--

“Care for a little hanky panky?” Calanthe whispered playfully in Eist’s ear as she began to lift his linen shirt over his head.

Just as she flung his shirt on the floor, Eist picked her up at her hips, causing Calanthe to squeal as Eist sat her on the edge of the bed. Her dress was pulled off in a flash and soon she was tangled in Eist’s arms. Eist was gentle, gentler than he ever had been with her. Despite how desperate he was to have Calanthe again, he was terrified that if he moved too quickly or roughly that he would hurt her. His worries were in vain though and soon Calanthe was moaning as he moved above her.

When they finished, she curled against Eist’s chest as he trailed his fingertips up and down her spine.

“How do you feel?” Eist asked softly as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Satisfied.” Calanthe whispered as she turned her head upward to look at Eist with a sly smile.

“Well that is certainly the result I was hoping for.” Eist chuckled as he kissed her forehead. “But are you sure you are not in any pain?”

“I’m fine, my darling.” Calanthe whispered as she settled herself more against Eist before tracing lazy circles on his chest with her finger. “What about you? Was it still… enjoyable?”

“Enjoyable?” Eist asked.

Calanthe lifted herself slightly as Eist raise himself on his elbows. She must not have heard him throughout the night if she thought he did not enjoy it.

“Enjoyable is not a strong enough word to describe what we just did.”

Calanthe smirked as she leaned upward to kiss Eist on the lips. His arms were around her as he lowered himself to rest against the pillows again. For a moment their tongues danced in each other’s mouths before they pulled apart.

“My darling, I would like to kiss you longer but I’m afraid you’ve worn me out.”

Eist laughed before he pressed one final kiss to her lips.

“If you are worn out then it seems I have successfully performed my bedchamber duties.”

Calanthe swatted Eist on the chest at that. “You have, my dear husband.” Calanthe responded playfully. “You have indeed.”

Eist smiled softly. “Good night, my love.”

“Good night darling.” Calanthe whispered back as she pressed a kiss to his chest.

The warmth of Calanthe’s weight against Eist felt wonderful when he woke the next morning. Eist sighed lightly, enjoying the feeling of Calanthe’s forehead pressed softly against his jaw and her gentle breath on his collarbone. Eist stretched his legs as gently as he could as he could not tell yet if Calanthe was already awake.

“Good morning.” Calanthe whispered when she raised herself off of Eist’s chest and looked into his eyes.

“Good morning to you too.” Eist said while he smirked lazily.

Eist closed his eyes, feeling sleep already beginning to wash over him again. He was exhausted from the previous night. A few moments passed before Eist sat up suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Calanthe asked.

“Carena.” Eist said as he began to shift himself to the edge of the bed. “I didn’t change her yet.”

“Eist.” Calanthe said, grabbing his hand. “She’s with Pavetta, remember?”

He sighed for a moment, which was followed quickly by a yawn.

“Gods, I’m so tired I almost forgot.” Eist said as he ran his hand through his hair while Calanthe held the other.

As Eist began to move back to the center of the bed, he glanced up at Calanthe. Any signs of drowsy happiness that had been there a moment ago were gone. Her face had fallen, and she looked upset as she stared down at her lap. Eist squeezed Calanthe’s hand softly before he stood and began to slip a shirt and pair of pants on.

“I’ll be right back.”

The corridors were still quiet as Eist made his way to Pavetta’s chambers. It took a few moments for their door to be answered, and Eist felt a twinge of guilt as he realized it was still so early that his knocking most likely woke them. Pavetta eventually came to the door and opened it silently.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s early. I’m just here for Carena.” Eist said as he stepped inside.

Pavetta nodded her head as she headed towards the bedchamber and quickly returned with Carena. “Is everything alright? I expected that we would have her for most of the day.”

“Everything is fine.” Eist said as she placed Carena in his arms. “We just missed her is all.”

Pavetta chuckled softly as she tapped Carena on the nose. “Well, my baby sister did just fine last night. She slept like a log in fact.”

Eist nodded as he thanked Pavetta and quickly made his way back up to Calanthe. When he arrived at their chambers, Calanthe had already fallen back asleep. Eist first took Carena to the privy and changed her diaper before slipping off his shirt and pressing her to his chest as he climbed into bed again. The movement was enough to wake Calanthe, who quickly shifted herself against this side of his chest as he put his arm around her. Within moments the sound of soft snoring could be heard as Calanthe fell back asleep.

\--

It was in the middle of the night, and Carena had woken crying hours earlier. Calanthe tried to feed her, but she was not hungry. Eist went to change her, but her diaper was clean.

“I guess she just wants held.” Calanthe said through a yawn.

“Do you want me to take her?” Eist asked sleepily.

“It’s alright.”

Calanthe looked so tired that he was afraid she might either scream or pass out. Eist pushed the blankets down the bed with his feet, pulled his knees up and pressed his feet flat on the bed, and spread his legs.

“Come here.” Eist said softly.

Calanthe smiled through another yawn as she moved to sit between his legs and leaned against his chest. For a moment her head fell back onto his shoulder, and he took advantage of it by pressing a kiss to her temple before wrapping his arms around her. Carena began to fuss again then, causing Calanthe to snap her head upward.

“It’s alright.” Calanthe said softly as she rocked Carena in her arms.

Eist glanced over Calanthe’s shoulder just in time to see Carena look up at Calanthe and smile. She had smiled before, most often after she ate. This smile was different though, and it was enough to make Eist gasp. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Calanthe smiling down at Carena, and as her smile widened, so did Carena’s.

“Eist, did you see?”

“I saw.” Eist whispered back as he kissed Calanthe on the cheek.

Carena’s smile faded then. “You try. Smile at her.”

Eist sat up a little straighter so he could properly peer down at Carena, and then he smiled. Eist thought he just might burst into tears when she flicked her eyes to him and scrunched up her face as she smiled back.

“Oh my Gods. This may be the sweetest thing I have ever seen.”

They spent the next hour taking turns smiling down at Carena, who eventually fell asleep with a smile on her face.

\--

The Skelligan banquet came and went, but before their return voyage to Cintra was arranged, Eist insisted on taking Carena to a lagoon nearby the castle in Kaer Trolde. While Pavetta and Duny stayed behind, Eist and Calanthe took Carena and Ciri with them by horseback with Carena wrapped in her sling pressed against Calanthe and Ciri sitting on Eist’s horse.

When they arrived, Calanthe sat on the sand in the shade and fed Carena while Eist took turns with Ciri jumping off of a rock that jutted out over a deeper end of the lagoon. A few times he pretended to jump himself but instead quickly scooped her up and tossed her into the water, causing her to burst into fits of laughter as she soared through the air.

“Be careful with her.” Calanthe said through her own laughter while Ciri shrieked again.

Ciri soon tired and made her way to Calanthe on the shore. Eist made one more jump, this time a cannon ball, before making his way towards the shore himself.

“Alright, are you ready to take her into the water?” Eist asked when he approached Calanthe as he pushed his hair out of his eyes and slicked it back. Calanthe glanced up then and for a moment her mouth fell open slightly as she gazed at him. Eist smirked lightly as he noticed her eyes darken until he said, “Calanthe?” Are you alright?” Eist asked as he took a few more steps towards her.

Calanthe shook her head softly before she walked towards him. “I am. I’m just a little distracted is all.”

Eist smirked again as he gently pressed his hand against her back then as he walked with her to the water. Just as the water hit Calanthe’s knees, she stopped.

“Eist, are you sure this is a good idea?”

He stepped around her as the water splashed around his calves. “I don’t see why not. She’s only going to be dipped in, and the water won’t go above her head.”

“I just don’t think I can do this. Why don’t you take her?” Calanthe said as she held out her arms.

Eist nodded his head as he gently took Carena from her. Calanthe turned to head back to shore before Eist stopped her.

“Stay with me.” Eist said as Calanthe turned back to him. “It will drive you mad if you go back to Ciri and can’t see what’s going on.”

Calanthe nodded before she began to follow him through the water until it was just above his waist. Eist carefully lowered Carena so the water was against her back and feet. For a moment Carena’s eyes went wide as Calanthe’s body noticeably tensed. A few moments later Carena smiled and let out a happy coo.

Calanthe sighed with relief as Eist grinned. He would not force his infant daughter to do something that made her unhappy or scared, but he was happy that she seemed to enjoy being in the lagoon as much as she did the tub in Cintra. Eist dipped her a little lower and angled her head upward so the water lapped over her tummy for a moment. Carena smiled again and waved her arms with delight.

“See?” Eist said happily as he glanced at Calanthe. “She’s okay.”

Eist lifted her out of the water and dipped her again, causing Carena to giggle. Eist and Calanthe both froze as they stared at her. She had never giggled before.

“Oh my Gods.” Calanthe whispered.

Tears sprang into Eist’s eyes. Hearing his daughter giggle was the sweetest thing he had ever heard, and in that moment, he knew he would do anything to make her giggle and laugh for the rest of his life. He smiled widely as he dipped Carena again, causing another giggle. Calanthe and Eist both burst out laughing that time.

“I’m beginning to think I did not give birth to a lion cub. It seems our daughter is all sea hound.”

Eist’s eyes were still shining when he turned and pressed a searing kiss to Calanthe’s lips.

\--

“I can’t believe how much she has grown.” Eist whispered. “And I don’t think I like it.”

Eist and Calanthe were lying on their stomachs on their bed with Carena sitting in front of them, propped up against the pillows. It was six months since she was born, and she was indeed growing quickly. Her eyes had finally turned the same color as Eist’s, and her hair was steadily growing out to have the same loose curls as him as well. Every other feature, and every other expression for that matter, looked more and more like Calanthe with each passing day.

“I know. It feels like every time I blink; she has grown more.” Calanthe said back softly.

Carena began to squeal then as she picked up a wooden block, made just for her by her Uncle Crach, just before quickly dropping it back onto the mattress. She babbled then as she leaned forward and picked up a second block before quickly dropping that one as well. Eist reached to the chubby foot closest to him and tickled it on the bottom with his finger, causing Carena to squeal and giggle as she quickly pulled her foot backwards.

Calanthe laughed when Eist sat up and pulled Carena into his arms. “Gotcha, little one!” Eist said as he laid Carena on her back between them and pressed kisses all over her face.

Carena squealed again and smiled as she pressed her hands on the sides of Eist’s cheeks as he smiled down at her.

“You are absolutely precious my little sea hound.” Eist whispered as Carena kicked her legs with delight.

\-- 

“Alright, now just stay still, little one.” Eist said as he set Carena on the bed and propped her up against the pillows.

A few days after Carena had been born, Eist waited until Calanthe had fallen asleep before pulling out his parchment and began to sketch Carena. Just drawing a babe’s face was easy, and he quickly fell into the routine of sketching Carena as Calanthe bathed in the evenings. He was now on his seventh drawing of her, but as Carena grew, it was getting harder and harder for Eist to keep her still long enough to sketch her. Just as Eist turned to grab his charcoal, Carena plopped herself down on her hands and knees and began to crawl across the bed.

“Hang on there.” Eist whispered as he quickly scooped Carena up and set her back against the pillows, which resulted in a frown and a quivering bottom lip.

“Don’t be sad.” Eist whispered as he quickly picked up several of Carena’s blocks that were on Calanthe’s bedside table and set them in front of her. “We can have more exploring time tomorrow, but for now you can play with your blocks.”

For a moment Carena stared down at the blocks in her lap and then began to giggle as she waved her chubby arms up and down with excitement. For the most part, Carena was smiling and laughing while Eist quickly sketched her. He had become so wrapped up in what he was doing that he did not hear the door to the privy chamber open, or Calanthe walk up behind him. If it hadn’t been for Carena looking over Eist’s head and holding out her arms with delight as she cooed, Eist would have not known she was there at all.

“And what are you up too?” Calanthe asked just as Eist began to turn around.

“Nothing.” Eist stammered as he attempted to hide the sketch behind his back.

Eist had decided to gift Calanthe the sketches after Carena turned a year old, starting with the sketch he drew of when Calanthe was still pregnant and ending with Carena turning one.

“My darling, you have many talents, but lying is not one of them.” Calanthe joked as she took a few steps towards Eist until she was standing so close that her hands rested on his shoulders.

Eist smirked as Calanthe bent down and pressed a kiss so soft she barely touched his lips. He

became distracted with her lips against his, and Calanthe seized the moment by quickly reaching over his shoulder and snatching the sketch out of his hand. Eist sat up higher off the bed and tried to take it back from her before she could get a look at it, but Calanthe was too fast as she smirked while she stepped away.

“What have you been…” Calanthe said playfully just before her face fell as she stared at the sketch in her hands. “Oh my Gods.”

Calanthe’s voice was soft as she spoke, and Eist could not tell if she thought the sketch was awful, or if she liked it.

“It’s not finished yet.” Eist said quietly as he glanced at Carena who was dropping her blocks as quickly as she picked them up.

“It’s lovely.” Calanthe whispered as she sat down on the bed beside Eist and handed him the parchment back. “I didn’t realize…”

“It’s okay.” Eist said as he offered Calanthe a soft smile. “It was meant to be a surprise for you. Well, not just this, there was more too it…”

Eist glanced up to see Calanthe smirking just before she pressed a kiss to his lips. “If it’s a surprise then stop telling me about the rest of it.” Calanthe said playfully.

Eist smiled, much like a fool would, as he looked at Calanthe before she said, “And I will pretend I never saw a thing.”

\--

The following morning, Eist and Calanthe woke early. They had recently taken up training Ciri again, which Carena seemed to enjoy watching quite a bit. Afterwards, they would head to the family’s private banquet hall, eat with Pavetta, Duny, and Mousesack, and then go their separate ways. Depending on what was occurring in court meant who would take Carena. If it was a relatively quiet day, she would stay with Calanthe until the mid-day meal, eat with Eist, who would then take Carena till their evening meal. On days where it would not due to have an infant in court, Eist would take her for the day, often down to the harbor. If Eist needed to be present, Mousesack was then put in charge of Carena until he or Calanthe would be free to take her again. Pavetta joined her mother daily now in court, and Duny spent his days with Vissegerd and the Cintran soldiers.

Eist was currently standing back as he held Carena in his arms, so she sat on his palm while his other hand rested on her tummy to keep her back pressed against his chest. Calanthe was attempting to teach Ciri how to do a backhanded strike, and Ciri was struggling with it. Calanthe would demonstrate, but when Ciri tried it herself on her target, her swing would waver, often causing her to drop her sword. Just as Ciri’s frustration began to grow, Duny entered the training yard.

Ciri dropped her sword, only this time she was happy to do so, as she ran to Duny who picked her up in his arms as she sprang at him.

“I came to see how you were doing.” Duny said as he kissed Ciri on the forehead.

“Not well, Papa.” Ciri said as she hung her head.

“Nonsense, you’re doing just fine.” Calanthe whispered as she walked behind Ciri and gently put her hand on the back of her head.

Ciri soon returned to her target, and slowly, swing after swing, she improved.

“Now, let’s teach you how to block it.” Calanthe said. “It won’t do her any good to block against a target though.”

“Here.” Eist said as he turned to Duny and handed him Carena. “Hold her for a minute, will you?”

Eist jogged over to a barrel of swords nearby and picked one of them up before returning to face Calanthe and noticed just how much she was smirking when he faced her.

“It’s been a long time.” Calanthe said as her smirk widened.

“It has. Care to run upstairs and put your leather pants on before we start?”

“Don’t tempt me, husband.” Calanthe said as she shook her head playfully.

Eist waited for Calanthe to strike before quickly stepping out of the way to block the blow.

“Not bad.” Calanthe said as she stepped back. “Watch your Grandfather, Ciri.” She said just before striking again. “See how he turns his wrist slightly, but still keeps his grip?”

Eist glanced up to see Ciri nod her head. After a few more demonstrations, Eist was pleased to see that Ciri was able to block the strike herself.

\--

The days were more exhausting than ever now that they had resumed their normal roles in court. A banquet had been held earlier that day to mark the arrival of the ambassador from Kaedwen. To Eist’s surprise, Calanthe was more than pleased when he jokingly suggested that they pull a disappearing act.

Carena was put down for a nap, and they certainly took advantage of the time alone. They made love in the tub before bathing and were now currently lying together in bed. Despite their mutual exhaustion, Eist was looking over the daily reports from Skellige, reading them aloud to Calanthe as he went. When he glanced over halfway through the first report, he noticed that Calanthe was rocking Carena in her arms and was staring down at her with a smile on her face. Eist set the report back on the pile on the bed. The report could wait.

Eist scooted over slightly and pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, darling. This little sea hound has me a bit distracted.”

Eist smirked as he looked down at Carena. She certainly was a happy baby as she cooed and gurgled in Calanthe’s arms. When Eist glanced up at Calanthe again, he could see just how happy she was, so happy that she was beaming.

“You love being a mother, don’t you?” Eist whispered fondly as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Calanthe chuckled lightly as she looked up at Eist, and just as she opened her mouth to speak, Carena let out a soft “Ma.”

Both of their heads snapped back to Carena as Eist leaned closer. “What did she just say?”

“Ma.” Calanthe said softly. “Say it again, little one. Say Ma.”

Carena said it again, and after much coaxing, she let out a faint. “Mama.”

Eist was worried that Calanthe would collapse as she burst into tears and clutched Carena to her. He rubbed her back softly as she gently rocked Carena against her chest.

After a few moments, Calanthe shifted her in her arms again. Just as Carena nestled down, she looked up at Calanthe and said “Mama” again. Calanthe giggled as she sniffled and wiped her eyes just as Eist pressed a kiss to her temple.

“We’ll have to work on her saying “Papa” next.” Calanthe said softly through a smile as she pressed a kiss to Carena’s cheek.

Eist smirked as he pressed another kiss to Calanthe’s temple.

Soon Carena’s eyes were closing lazily as she drifted off to sleep. After she was placed in her cradle, Eist and Calanthe snuggled together in bed until they too fell asleep.


	34. Chapter 17B - Calanthe

**Chapter 17B – Calanthe**

**Year 1256**

Calanthe could barely open her eyes as the sound of knocking pulled her from her sleep. She was having a lovely dream, one that involved Eist and herself engaging in some particularly pleasurable acts in bed and was not pleased to be woken from it. Calanthe stirred against Eist as she began to raise herself and pulled away from his arms. She felt instant regret as the warmth of being in his arms disappeared from around her.

“The banquet can wait.” Eist grumbled towards the bedchamber door that Yuri and Maren were no doubt on the other side of.

Calanthe chuckled softly as she blinked sleep from her eyes and began to sit herself up to rise from the bed. She did not make it that far though, for Eist’s arms were around her waist in a flash.

“They can’t start without us.” Eist breathed out as Calanthe allowed herself to be pulled back into his arms.

“Alright.” Calanthe whispered as Eist nuzzled against her before calling out “fifteen more minutes” to Yuri and Maren.

Eist seemed to fall back asleep almost instantly, causing Calanthe to chuckle again as she pressed a kiss to his lips. The time passed all too quickly, but this time when Yuri knocked again, Eist did get out of bed.

As Calanthe sank into the tub, Eist was quickly ushered out of their chambers by Lanx who was carrying his evening attire. After she bathed, Calanthe rocked Carena in her arms while her hair was parted down the middle, her crown braid pinned in place, and her remaining hair formed into a low chignon bun with three bloomed white roses inserted directly above it. Her makeup was kept simple, opting for light brown eyeshadow and minimal eyeliner mixed that morning from charcoal, egg yolk, and lavender oil.

Eist was brought back to their chambers as Calanthe was slipping on her gown, and she chuckled as Maren stopped him at the bedchamber door to prevent him from entering.

“Just a few more moments, your Majesty.” Maren said as she shut the door.

When finished, Calanthe wrapped Carena up in her new swaddle before putting her shoes on. The final touch was the crown, which Yuri gently held while Maren worked Calanthe’s hair around it. Calanthe took a breath as she walked to her full-length looking glass. Her body was still not what it was before she had Carena, and it would not be for months. Despite that, she was pleased with what she saw and suspected Eist would be as well. The gown was more revealing than she was used too, but the weather was already hotter than what Calanthe preferred. She dapped her chest for a moment as sweat began to bead on her skin. At least she would be cooler in what she was wearing.

Calanthe gently rocked Carena in her arms again while Yuri and Maren left to get themselves dressed and ready. After a few moments, Calanthe took a deep breath and quietly opened the bedchamber door to see Eist standing with his back to her and his hands on his hips. Calanthe smirked as she gently shifted Carena in her arms before clearing her throat.

When Eist turned, his eyes went wide as she looked him up and down. He looked absolutely dashing. Lanx had cleaned up his beard and trimmed his hair around the back and sides. The blue of his tunic and shirt made his eyes stand out, and his linen shirt was only tied halfway up. Calanthe smirked again when her eyes traced over his legs and noticed that his pants fit him rather well and wished she would have looked closer at his behind before he turned around.

When her eyes trailed back to meet Eist’s, she saw the huge grin on his face. In a flash, he was across the sitting room and wrapping his arms around her waist.

“You look absolutely beautiful.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss just below her ear before trailing to her lips.

“You look quite handsome yourself.” Calanthe breathed out when Eist pulled back.

Calanthe followed Eist’s gaze when he looked down at Carena in her arms.

“And you look absolutely precious.” Eist whispered as Calanthe handed him Carena. “You even match your mother.”

\--

The only guests Calanthe was certain would be in attendance were her family, advisors, lords, and noblemen. The rest of the guest list had been kept from her by Pavetta and every time Calanthe pressed the issue, Pavetta would only say, “I want it to be a surprise.”

Per usual, Calanthe and Eist, along with Carena were the last to be announced by the herald. When they made their way inside with linked arms, the hall went silent until they reached their seats. Calanthe had tried to place who was in attendance, but the banquet hall was so full it was hard to tell. Many of the guests that were present Eist had either never met before or had been introduced so long ago that there would be a chance he would not remember them at all.

Calanthe smirked as she approached her chair, noticing the sword inside the sheath that was discreetly attached to the back of it just before Eist pulled her chair out for her. She glanced around and noticed that not only did Eist’s chair also had a sword, but four others did a few seats down on both sides. There was a total of nine chairs at the table, with Calanthe’s in the middle. Calanthe’s chair was marked with a cursive letter c on the cushion, and Eist always sat to her left. She was unsure however as to who else would be seated with them.

Before she could ask the question, Pavetta came gliding through the crowd in a deep purple gown and her hair twisted into an elaborate bun, followed closely by Mousesack, Crach, and Bran.

“Crach, you are on the end, followed by Bran, and Mousesack, you are closest to Eist.” Pavetta said as she pointed them to their seats.

Calanthe looked up then to see Duny making his way through the gathered guests, dressed very smartly in a maroon ensemble, while holding Ciri’s hand, who was dressed in a gown that was identical to her mothers.

“Well, Mother? What do you think?”

The banquet hall did look magnificent. There were candles everywhere, as were bouquet upon bouquet of white roses tied with thick white ribbon. Behind the high table hung two massive tapestries, one with the Cintran Lions and the other with Skelligan Sea Hounds. Beer and wine were flowing freely, and the guests were enjoying horderves consisting of oysters, cheese, various fruits and vegetables, and bread. What impressed Calanthe the most though was the guests themselves. Monarchs from other kingdoms seldom paid visits to each other, yet in the crowd she could see not only King Foltest of Temeria, but her cousin, Queen Meve of Lyria.

“It looks wonderful! I believe you have outdone yourself.” Calanthe said as Pavetta made her way around the table and sat down. “I must admit I’m impressed with who you have invited.”

“I’d hoped you’d be. It was why I insisted on keeping it such a secret.”

Duny and Ciri approached the table then and Ciri first trotted over to Calanthe and Eist to press a kiss to each of their cheeks, then kissed Carena lightly on the forehead before letting Duny pick her up to place her in her seat in between himself and Pavetta.

“Who is sitting at the end?” Calanthe asked.

“Oh, you mean the other chair with a sword.” Pavetta said as she rolled her eyes.

Before she could say anything else, Vissegerd approached the table and took to his knee.

“I am, your Majesty. The king and princess asked me to join your table, but I only will if it suits you.”

Calanthe glanced at Vissegerd for a moment and then smiled softly. It seemed foolish that he had not sat at their table until now.

“Of course.” Calanthe said as she bowed her head lightly to him.

With everyone seated at the high table, Pavetta took to her feet to make a toast.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the court and honored guests, we welcome you to Cintra. As you know, we are here to celebrate the birth of my sister, the Princess Carena of Cintra and Skellige.”

The guests burst into applause and cheering before returning to their conversations.

Calanthe glanced over at Eist to see him gently rocking Carena in his arms. “Thank you for asking Vissegerd to join us.”

Eist looked up and smirked for a moment. “I thought it would put your mind at ease to have him close to Ciri.”

“It does, but perhaps he should sit with us more often. He has been so loyal after all.”

“Whatever you want, my love.” Eist whispered.

Calanthe smiled to herself as she noticed Eist lean towards her, but quickly stopped himself. He looked as though he was going to lean in to kiss her before he remembered where he was. Despite where they were, Calanthe wished he had.

“Feel like showing her off?” Calanthe asked softly as she looked down at Carena who was staring up at Eist with her big blue eyes.

“Of course.” Eist said as he stood.

“Good, because there is someone that I would like you to meet.”

Just as Calanthe reached the steps that led down from the high table to the rest of the banquet hall, Jaskier stepped in front of her. Calanthe stopped in her tracks as she looked the bard up and down. She had not noticed him until now, despite the fact that she had kept her eyes peeled for him.

Jaskier bowed as he said, “Your Majesty, it is an honor to be back in your magnif…”

“Fuck off, bard.”

It was the only thing Calanthe could manage to spit out. Her eyes darted around for a moment in search of the Witcher before she marched away.

\--

Meve smiled widely and stood as Calanthe approached her table. For a moment Calanthe felt downright giddy. Meve was like a sister to her, and while they had stayed in close contact through frequent letters, she had not seen her in person in well over a decade.

“It’s been far too long, cousin.” Meve said happily.

“It has.” Calanthe said through a smile as she and Meve kissed each other lightly on the cheek. “I must say that I am surprised to see you.”

“Well, your daughter is quite persistent.” Meve said through a chuckle. “I received no less than ten letters inviting me here.”

Calanthe smirked to herself and made a mental note to thank Pavetta later.

“So, that’s your king?” Meve asked as she nodded towards Eist, who was speaking with Jaskier.

While Meve and Eist had never met before, she had been told all about him in their letters.

“He is.” Calanthe said as she took a mule of beer that was offered to her.

“You were right about him.” Meve said as she smirked towards Eist.

Calanthe’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Meaning?”

Meve turned back towards Calanthe before she said, “He is very handsome indeed, and seems to be attracting some attention from the ladies in here.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes as she took a sip of beer. It was not unusual for women to ogle at Eist. Over the years, some had been brave enough to even approach him when they thought Calanthe had not been looking. It turned into a game where Calanthe would walk up behind the woman and stand silently. Eist would smirk then just before saying to the unsuspecting woman, “Perhaps you have met my wife, the Queen?” It always sent them scurrying away, leaving Calanthe and Eist to laugh to themselves.

“He attracts attention all the time.”

“But he is loyal?”

Calanthe chuckled lightly. “He is. He is very loyal in fact.”

“Good. I don’t see you tolerating a husband with wandering eyes again.”

Calanthe pursed her lips just before she took another sip of beer. “No, I would not have.” Even now, long after her first husband had died, his infidelity still cast a shadow. “Eist is nothing like Roegner.”

“Good, you deserved far better than that imbecile. I see the men of your court still gaze at you.”

Calanthe chuckled before she took another sip of beer. “Yes cousin, some things never change.”

When Calanthe looked up from her beer, she noticed a woman that she had not seen before. She was a servant and was currently setting down a platter of glazed carrots as she stared across the banquet hall. Calanthe followed her gaze for a moment, all to see she was staring at Eist. Her stare was different though. It was not full of the usual lust she had grown used to seeing when women stared at her husband, it was something different. Was it shock, or something else?

“Is he holding the princess?”

Calanthe blinked as she turned back to Meve. “He is. He loves to hold her. “Calanthe turned back then, but the servant was gone.

“And how did he handle the news of having a daughter?”

Calanthe turned back to Meve just as Eist began to approach them. “He was the happiest he has ever been.” Calanthe said firmly.

“You’re Meve, I take it?” Eist asked when he walked up.

“I am. And you are my cousins’ husband. She chose well. She wrote to me how handsome you are, and I see she did not exaggerate.”

Calanthe smirked when she looked at Eist, who was smirking himself but clearly did not know how to respond.

“Thank you…” Eist said slowly as he looked from Meve to Calanthe before winking and handing Carena over to her.

Once Carena was nestled in her arms, Calanthe turned back to Meve.

“She is beautiful.” Meve said as she looked down at Carena. “She’s starting to look like you.”

Eist lightly caressed his fingertip over Calanthe’s hand then just for a moment. Calanthe took a breath before putting her hand around his waist to rest on his lower back. She felt him jump at the sudden display of affection in front of her own court. Calanthe glanced up at Eist and for a moment their eyes met. He seemed to understand her without speaking and quickly realized that she was giving him permission to put his arm around her too.

\--

Servants began to bring out the food soon after and a bell was rung by the herald, signaling everyone to begin to return to their seats. The woman Calanthe had seen earlier was among them but was on the opposite side of the banquet hall. Jaskier and his band of men played lively tunes while everyone ate, keeping the atmosphere light. Calanthe held Carena in one arm while she ate, despite Eist’s insistence that he hold her till she finished. The timing was perfect, for just as Calanthe set her own fork down, she glanced at Carena and saw her begin to scrunch up her face. Calanthe pressed her hand to Eist’s knee before quickly making her way to the room hidden behind the tapestries to feed Carena.

\--

Carena had just latched when Eist quietly followed her into the room.

“It’s okay, you know. You can stay out there if you wish.” Calanthe said as Eist sat down beside her while he slipped his arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.

Eist chuckled. “You know I would much rather be here with the two of you.”

\--

It took a half hour for Carena to finish, and by the time Calanthe and Eist made their way back to the banquet hall, dessert was being set out and dancing had begun. Calanthe chuckled as a particularly large platter of cream puffs was set in front of Eist’s seat.

“My favorite.” Eist whispered as he took Carena from Calanthe’s arms. “I can’t wait for you to try these when you are old enough, little one.”

“Where is she? Is she with her mother?” Calanthe asked urgently as she looked from Ciri’s empty seat to Vissegerd.

“No, your Majesty. The prince and princess are dancing.” Vissegerd said as he nodded towards the center of the banquet hall. “Princess Cirilla is speaking with the bard right now.”

Calanthe’s eyes snapped upward and quickly searched the hall. Ciri was indeed talking to Jaskier, who was speaking rather animatedly to her in the far corner. Without speaking Calanthe marched across the banquet hall and nearly pushed several noblemen out of her way in the process.

“Ciri.” Calanthe said firmly when she reached them. “Ciri, come to me now.”

Ciri looked confused as she turned towards Calanthe, who held out her hand and waited for Ciri to take it. Jaskier looked just as confused as he took several small steps backwards, nearly backing into the wall.

“Your majesty…” Jaskier stammered.

“Silence.” Calanthe’s voice was as sharp as a whip as she turned around and pulled Ciri away.

“Grandmama, we were talking.”

“I know, sweetheart. Let me take you to Crach. You can talk to him all you want.”

Calanthe stopped as Ciri yanked her hand out of Calanthe’s. “I want to hear more about the dragon!” Ciri yelled, loud enough for a few lords to turn their heads toward them.

“What dragon?” Calanthe asked as she pursed her lips.

“A dragon that Jaskier fought with a Witcher!”

Calanthe turned from Ciri to face the bard again and for a moment her vision turned red. Ciri did not need to know about the existence of the Witcher. Calanthe took a step forward and was ready to make a grab for Jaskier to choke him when Eist appeared. She took a deep breath to calm herself, quickly deciding that it would not do well for appearances sake for her to kill the bard in front of her guests.

“Take her.” Calanthe said as she took a deep breath and looked at Eist.

“Are you sure? I can talk to him.”

“Take her, Eist.”

Eist didn’t ask again, instead he picked Ciri up in one swoop and carried her back to the banquet table, followed quickly by Pavetta and Duny. When Calanthe turned back to Jaskier, he was staring at his feet. She took her time walking towards him, noting just how terrified he looked with each step. When she reached him, without speaking she grabbed him by the scruff of his tunic and dragged him out into the hall.

Calanthe raised her hand when the guards from the banquet hall attempted to follow her and dismissed the ones outside of it when they reached the corridor.

“You are playing a dangerous game.” Calanthe spat out as she let go of him.

“Your majesty, I do not know what you are talking about.” Jaskier said as he rubbed his neck.

“Don’t you?” Calanthe asked as she raised her brow. “Just tell me where he is.”

“Where who is?”

“The Witcher, you idiot.”

“I have not seen him in years.”

Calanthe took a deep breath. “Don’t tell me the same lies you told my daughter.”

“I did not lie to the Princess.” Jaskier said. “I speak the truth. We parted ways long ago.” Calanthe watched suspiciously as Jaskier hung his head. “I promise you I have not seen him. The last time we spoke Princess Cirilla came up and he said he still had no intention of coming back for her.”

Calanthe pursed her lips as she took another deep breath to stop herself from screaming at him. “I won’t let him take her.” Calanthe eventually said, more to herself than to Jaskier.

“I would not expect that, your Majesty.” Jaskier said softly. “And neither would Geralt.”

Calanthe felt tears sting her eyes for a moment as the night of her daughter’s betrothal feast flashed in her mind.

“If you happen to run into the Witcher again, will you give him a message for me?”

Jaskier nodded as he nervously looked at Calanthe.

“Remind him that he is still not wanted here and that he is to stay away. If he doesn’t, I’ll kill him myself.”

Eist opened the door to the banquet hall then and hurriedly walked to Calanthe’s side.

“Is everything alright?” Eist asked as he stood close beside her.

“Everything is fine. We were just finished.” Calanthe said as she looked up at Eist before turning back to Jaskier. “Come, bard. We have guests that would so love to be entertained by your ballads.”

Calanthe took Eist’s arm as they turned to enter the banquet hall again. Just as Eist opened the door, Calanthe stopped and turned back to Jaskier.

“And one more thing, do not speak to my granddaughter of the Witcher again. She does not need her head filled with such nonsense.”

\--

Jaskier did go on to play his merry tunes and sing his ballads as dancing resumed in the banquet hall. Crach, Bran, and Mousesack had gone off to converse with the other Skelligan’s as Pavetta spoke to King Foltest and Queen Meve while Duny danced with Ciri standing on his feet. Vissegerd patrolled the banquet hall, being ever vigilant, leaving Calanthe and Eist at the high table with Carena.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Eist asked again.

“I’m fine. I informed the bard as to what my intentions are with the Witcher and reminded him as to what will happen if he returns to Cintra. At this point I almost hope he comes back. At least that way I could end this once…”

“Fuck.” Eist whispered softly, cutting Calanthe off.

She looked over at him sharply for a moment before following his gaze to see Lord Hilqvuest approaching them. For a moment Calanthe felt her stomach twist. On her best day she was in no mood to deal with him, but now she was afraid she just may lose her wits if he said something cruel about her newborn daughter.

Just as Hilqvuest reached them and began to open his mouth, Eist switched to holding Carena with one arm and held the other up to stop him.

“Don’t.”

“Your Majesty?” Hilqvuest asked with a rather confused look on his face. “I wanted to give my congratulations on the birth of another Cintran princess.”

Calanthe noted how Hilqvuest looked at her pointedly when he said the word “another”. Before she could speak, Eist stepped in again.

“Your congratulations, although not genuine, is noted. Step away from the table.”

“Your Majesty…”

Eist handed Carena to Calanthe before he stood. “Lord Hilqvuest, you have made your intentions well known with how you feel about the princess.” He spoke slowly as he carefully enunciated his words as he walked around the table. Calanthe smirked as she watched Eist begin to resemble a shark that was circling its prey in the water. “Make no mistake, I have no intention on playing politics with you. If you speak poorly of the princess, or the Queen again for that matter, then I will address you however I see fit.” Fear quickly began to spread across Hilqvuest’s face as Eist towered over him. “Now, Lord Hilqvuest, I will only tell you this one more time. Step away from the table, now.”

Calanthe had to hold back a burst of laughter as Hilqvuest quickly scurried away. She watched him return to his seat with his wife and several other lords, who all notably looked over at Calanthe after he spoke to them. Calanthe shook her head lightly before glancing up at Eist who was gazing at her.

“I know, I know.” Eist said when their eyes met before making his way back around to sit beside her. “I wasn’t supposed to do that.”

“No, you were not.” Calanthe said softly as Eist sat down. “But I’m glad you did.”

Eist leaned towards her again, just like he had earlier, as if he were going to kiss her. And once again, he stopped himself.

“Eist Tuirseach?” Calanthe said, his name a question.

Eist glanced back up at her from where he had turned his gaze to his plate.

“Kiss me. Your Queen commands it.”

“There are an awful lot of people here, my Queen.” Eist whispered as he smirked at her.

“Yes, there are. And you are no doubt about to make a few of them jealous.”

Eist’s kiss on her lips was gentle, yet firm. He lingered for just a moment before pulling away to look into her eyes. Calanthe sighed softly as she resisted the urge to kiss him again. There was so much love in his eyes that it made her heart melt.

\--

The night drifted on and Carena was fed again and changed soon after by Eist. Song and dance continued, as did drinking and games. A few guests had left, but most were still in attendance and becoming steadily more and more drunk. Calanthe sat with Meve again and chatted for a while with Carena while Eist took Foltest over to the Skelligan’s to engage in several rounds of arm wrestling and shots of vodka.

Eventually Calanthe and Eist made their way back to each other at the high table, just as they always did.

“I take it your having fun?” Calanthe asked, amused at how Eist swayed in his seat.

“I am, my love.” Eist whispered lazily. “And I hope you are as well.”

Calanthe glanced down at Carena for a moment as she began to stretch her arms. She adjusted her swaddle before gently stroking Carena’s cheek. Calanthe smiled as Carena turned her mouth towards Calanthe’s finger before she tapped her lightly on the nose. Eist eventually insisted on dancing and all but dragged Calanthe to the center of the banquet hall in time to twirl her around as Jaskier started a new tune.

It was after midnight when they first walked with Pavetta, Ciri, and Duny back to their chambers before finally making their way back to their own with Carena sleeping in Eist’s arms. As they walked, Calanthe slinked her arm around Eist’s waist and leaned her head against his arm. The Witcher had indeed not come back to Cintra.

\--

The summer heat was becoming brutal as the season set in, causing Calanthe to be particularly grateful for the cool air as it blew off the sea as she and Eist sailed to Skellige for the first time in months. Another banquet was set to be held there to present Carena in a few days’ time, and Calanthe was more than happy to escape Cintra’s hot summer climate for a while. Calanthe sighed happily as she stared out at the open sea in front of her. She still did not enjoy sailing, but on this day, it felt calming to hear the water lap quietly as the ship sliced through it. It also helped that Eist looked particularly sweet as he held Carena in one arm and Ciri’s hand with the other as he walked up and down the deck. Pavetta meanwhile sat on a bench with Duny while Mousesack talked to the crew.

Their arrival in Skellige was timely, and they were greeted happily by Crach, Bran, and to Calanthe’s surprise, Birna, as they docked. Calanthe and Birna had not become close over the years, and while they were respectful to each other, their familial relationship never became anything more.

“I’m surprised Birna is here.” Calanthe whispered as the gang plank was dropped.

“So am I.” Eist whispered back as he adjusted Carena in his arms.

It did not take long to realize why Birna had come to greet them. She apparently had a particular fondness for babies, and later on that day she went as far as to show Calanthe how to make a sling out of a long strip of cotton fabric for Carena while Eist stood close by and watched. Calanthe smirked as she took a look at herself in the looking glass as Birna left. It had taken Birna several minutes to convince Calanthe that it was okay to let go of Carena and that she was indeed strapped to her body by the fabric. Now that Calanthe looked at herself in the mirror with her hands free, she smiled. Carena’s head was nestled against her chest as she slept soundly.

“Well she appears to be comfortable.” Eist whispered.

“Yes, I believe she is.” Calanthe whispered back as Eist bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“This really is wonderful.” Calanthe said after Eist pulled away. “Now I can have her close and still have my hands free. I should be able to head to the training yard now.” Calanthe joked.

Eist did a double take in the looking glass as Calanthe chuckled. “I’m kidding, darling. Although I do want to begin training again.”

Eist smirked as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s temple.

“Oh, by the way, do you realize what today is?” Calanthe asked as Eist stepped away from her.

She watched for a moment as he pondered what she said. He caught on quickly though and glanced over his shoulder with a devious grin on his face before quickly walking out of their chambers. For a moment Calanthe furrowed her brow and then it dawned on her as a smile fell across her own face. Eist was going to make arraignments to have Carena looked after tonight.

Eist returned soon after with Pavetta in tow and it was agreed that Carena would sleep in Pavetta’s chambers that night.

\--

“Care for a little hanky panky?” Calanthe whispered playfully in Eist’s ear as she began to lift his linen shirt over his head.

Just as she flung his shirt on the floor, Eist picked her up at her hips, causing Calanthe to squeal as Eist sat her on the edge of the bed. Her dress was pulled off in a flash and soon she was tangled in Eist’s arms. Calanthe waited for it to hurt again, as it did after she had Pavetta. She had braced herself for the pain and told herself that it may be a while before she truly enjoyed this again. To her surprise, the pain didn’t come. Eist was gentle with her and soon Calanthe was moaning as pleasure surged through her.

When they finished, she curled against Eist’s chest as he ran his fingertips up and down her spine.

“How do you feel?” Eist asked softly as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

Calanthe’s heart was still racing, her center was still tingling, and her legs were still quivering slightly. She smirked as she closed her eyes slowly and fought off sleep.

“Satisfied.” Calanthe whispered as she turned her head upward to look at Eist with a sly smile.

“Well that is certainly the result I was hoping for.” Eist chuckled as he kissed her forehead. “But are you sure you are not in any pain?”

“I’m fine, my darling.” Calanthe whispered as she settled herself more against Eist before tracing lazy circles on his chest with her finger. “What about you? Was it still… enjoyable?”

“Enjoyable?” Eist asked.

Calanthe lifted herself slightly as she felt Eist raise himself on his elbows.

“Enjoyable is not a strong enough word to describe what we just did.”

Calanthe smirked again as she leaned upward to kiss Eist on the lips. His arms were around her as he lowered himself to rest against the pillows again. For a moment their tongues danced in each other’s mouths before they pulled apart.

“My darling, I would like to kiss you longer but I’m afraid you’ve worn me out.”

Eist laughed before he pressed one final kiss to her lips.

“If you are worn out then it seems I have successfully performed my bedchamber duties.”

Calanthe swatted Eist on the chest at that. “You have, my dear husband.” Calanthe responded playfully. “You have indeed.”

Eist smiled softly back at her before resting his head against the pillows. “Good night, my love.”

“Good night darling.” Calanthe whispered back as she pressed a kiss to his chest just before falling asleep.

The following morning, Calanthe woke and forgot for a moment that Carena was not in their bedchamber with them. Despite the fact that she was still pressed tightly against Eist’s chest, she half expected to see Carena sleeping soundly just beside her when she opened her eyes. She smiled for a moment as sleep began to fade away. Her forehead was pressed against the side of Eist’s jaw, and his beard tickled her lightly as she shifted slightly to stretch her legs. Calanthe was not sure how long she laid there for until Eist began to stir beneath her.

“Good morning.” Calanthe whispered when she raised herself off of Eist’s chest to look into his eyes.

“Good morning to you too.” Eist said as he smirked lazily.

For a moment Calanthe stared at Eist as he closed his eyes again and looked as though he would fall back asleep. His eyes snapped open suddenly as he said upward.

“What’s wrong?” Calanthe asked, surprised by his sudden movement.

“Carena.” Eist said as he began to shift himself to the edge of the bed. “I didn’t change her yet.”

“Eist.” Calanthe said as she grabbed his hand to stop him. “She stayed with Pavetta last night, remember?”

Eist sighed for a moment, which was followed quickly by a yawn.

“Gods, I’m so tired I almost forgot.” Eist said as he ran his hand through his hair while Calanthe held the other.

The pang of missing her daughter hit suddenly. Calanthe had enjoyed she and Eist’s previous night immensely, and it was nice to have the time to themselves. She missed their daughter though, and Eist clearly did as well. Eist must have noticed her face fall, because when she looked back up at him, he squeezed her hand softly before standing.

“I’ll be right back.” Eist said after he slipped his shirt and pants on.

Calanthe settled herself against the pillows and had just fallen asleep when she was awoken by the feeling of someone laying down next to her. When Calanthe opened her eyes, she smiled to see Carena sleeping soundly against her father’s chest. Calanthe shifted herself to press against the side of Eist’s chest as he wrapped his arm around her. An overwhelming feeling of happiness and calm fell across Calanthe then, and soon she was fast asleep.

\--

It was in the middle of the night, and Carena had woken crying hours earlier. Calanthe tried to feed her, but she was not hungry. Eist went to change her, but her diaper was clean.

“I guess she just wants held.” Calanthe said through a yawn.

“Do you want me to take her?” Eist asked sleepily.

“It’s alright.”

She was tired, so tired she felt like screaming, but Carena had just calmed and was now staring up at Calanthe with her big blue eyes.

“Come here.” Eist said softly.

Calanthe turned her head to see that Eist had sat up and spread his legs so she could sit in between them and rest against his chest. She smiled as she yawned again and moved to rest against him. Calanthe leaned her head back for a moment against his shoulder as he pressed a kiss to her temple and wrapped his arms around her. Carena began to fuss again then, causing Calanthe to snap her head upward.

“It’s alright.” Calanthe said softly as she rocked Carena in her arms.

Calanthe smiled down at Carena, and almost dropped her out of sheer shock when Carena smiled back as Eist gasped. She had seen Carena smile before, but not like this. Calanthe felt her own smile widen and gasped herself when Carena’s smile widened too.

“Eist, did you see?”

“I saw.” Eist whispered back as he kissed Calanthe on the cheek.

Carena’s smile faded then. “You try. Smile at her.”

Although Calanthe could not see Eist, he must have smiled, because Carena’s eyes flicked to his face just before she smiled again.

“Oh my Gods.” Calanthe said as tears filled her eyes. “This may be the sweetest thing I have ever seen.”

They spent the next hour taking turns smiling down at Carena, who eventually fell asleep with a smile on her face.

\--

The Skelligan banquet came and went, but before their return voyage to Cintra was arranged, Eist insisted on taking Carena to a lagoon nearby the castle in Kaer Trolde. While Pavetta and Duny stayed behind, Calanthe and Eist took Carena and Ciri with them by horseback down to the lagoon.

When they arrived, Calanthe sat on the sand in the shade and fed Carena while Eist took turns with Ciri jumping off of a rock that jutted out over a deeper end of the lagoon. A few times he would pretend to jump himself but would instead quickly scoop her up and toss her into the water, causing her to burst into laughter as she soared through the air.

“Be careful with her.” Calanthe said through her own laughter while Ciri shrieked again at being tossed in the air.

It did not need to be said, Calanthe knew, but as her Grandmother she said it anyway. Eist would harm himself before he would harm Ciri. After a few more tosses, Ciri sprinted from the water and up to Calanthe.

“Having fun, sweetheart?” Calanthe asked as Ciri wrapped her arms around Calanthe’s legs.

“I am!” Ciri said before plopping herself down and picking up the jug of water that Eist had brought with them.

“Alright, are you ready to take her into the water?”

Calanthe glanced up then and noticed that Eist had walked up to her. She smirked for a moment as she looked him over. His swim shorts were clinging to him and his chest was bare and shined in the sunlight as droplets of water dripped down him. He was just as built as ever and Calanthe smiled widely as he ran his hands through his hair to push it out of his eyes.

“Calanthe? Are you alright?” Eist asked as he took a few more steps towards her.

Calanthe shook her head softly as she pushed her thoughts away before she walked towards him. “I am. I’m just a little distracted is all.”

Eist’s hand was pressed gently against her back then as he walked with her to the water. The water hit just above her knees when she stopped suddenly.

“Eist, are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I don’t see why not. She’s only going to be dipped in, and the water won’t go above her head.”

Calanthe stayed where she was as she felt her heartbeat in her ears. What if she dropped her? What if a large wave came and knocked her out of her arms?

“I just don’t think I can do this. Why don’t you take her?” Calanthe said as she held out her arms.

Eist nodded his head as he gently took Carena from her. Calanthe turned to head back to shore before Eist stopped her.

“Stay with me.” Eist said as Calanthe turned back to him. “It will drive you mad if you go back to Ciri and can’t see what’s going on.”

Calanthe nodded. Eist was right. She would be a nervous wreck until Eist brought Carena back to her.

They made their way together until the water reached Eist’s waist. Calanthe took a breath as Eist carefully lowered Carena so the water was against her back and feet. For a moment Carena’s eyes went wide. Calanthe’s body tensed and she had to stop herself from ripping Carena out of Eist’s arms and going back to shore. To Calanthe’s surprise though, a few moments later Carena smiled and let out a happy coo.

Calanthe sighed with relief as she glanced up at Eist to see a huge grin on his face. He dipped her a little lower and angled her head upward, so the water lapped over her tummy for a moment. Carena smiled again and waved her arms with delight.

“See?” Eist said happily as he glanced at Calanthe. “She’s okay.”

Calanthe nodded as a smile flashed across her face. Carena did indeed look happy. Eist lifted her out of the water and dipped her again, causing Carena to giggle. Calanthe and Eist both froze as they stared at her. She had never giggled before.

“Oh my Gods.” Calanthe whispered.

When she looked up at Eist, she could see tears shining in his eyes. He smiled happily as he dipped Carena again, causing another giggle. Calanthe and Eist both burst out laughing that time.

“I’m beginning to think I did not give birth to a lion cub. It seems our daughter is all sea hound.”

Eist’s eyes were still shining when he turned and pressed a searing kiss to Calanthe’s lips.

\--

“I can’t believe how much she has grown.” Eist whispered. “And I don’t think I like it.”

Calanthe smiled as she looked back at Carena while she and Eist laid on their stomachs with Carena sitting in front of them. It was six months since she was born, and she was indeed growing quickly. Her eyes had finally turned the same color as Eist’s, and her hair was steadily growing out to have the same loose curls as him as well. Every other feature, and every other expression for that matter, looked more and more like Calanthe with each passing day.

“I know. It feels like every time I blink; she has grown more.” Calanthe said back softly.

Carena began to squeal then as she picked up a wooden block just before quickly dropping it back onto the mattress. She babbled then as she leaned forward and picked up a second block before quickly dropping that one as well. Eist reached to the foot closest to him and tickled her on the bottom with his finger, causing Carena to squeal and giggle as she quickly pulled her foot backwards.

Calanthe laughed when Eist sat up and quickly pulled Carena into his arms. “Gotcha, little one!” Eist said as he laid Carena on her back between them and pressed kisses all over her face.

Carena squealed again and smiled as she pressed her hands on the sides of Eist’s cheeks as he smiled down at her.

“You are absolutely precious my little sea hound.” Eist whispered as Carena kicked her legs with delight.

\--

Calanthe let out a loud sigh as she sank into the tub. The water was steaming hot and smelled of juniper berries. Carrying around a babe all day left her arms and back sore, and while she loved her daughter and husband dearly, it was nice to have a few moments to herself. The idea had come out of frustration after Calanthe snapped harshly at Eist one evening as she poured over reports sent to her from Pavetta. While Calanthe had still not rejoined court, being out of it entirely had caused her stress. She did not enjoy being unaware as to what was going on in her own kingdom. That evening, she had spent the day with Eist and Carena, and was now sitting at her bedchamber vanity near the fire reading while Eist talked to Carena and bounced her on his lap. The noise and distraction became too much, and before Calanthe thought about what she was about to say, she lashed out. The sound of her voice caused Carena to burst into tears and a look of hurt to flash across Eist’s face for a moment.

“I’m sorry.” Calanthe said as her eyes filled with tears.

She put her head in her hands as she rested her elbows on her vanity. She should not have said what she did. Calanthe felt like a fool all of a sudden. She was in her bedchamber with a husband who adored her and a child with him that she had wanted for years, and she was screaming at them.

“It’s alright.” Eist said softly.

Calanthe glanced up through the looking glass to see Eist rocking Carena in his arms as her crying faded.

“Would it help if you have some time by yourself?” Eist asked.

Tears stung her eyes again.

“No, I don’t want to be without you and I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.”

“I know,” Eist said as he shifted to the edge of the bed to stand, “But you have not been alone since you gave birth. All of your focus has been on Carena, and if not on her, then me. And now your starting to get involved with court again.”

Calanthe sighed. Before Carena she was rarely alone. Eist was her shadow, and she was his. They were rarely without each other and they preferred it that way. But there had still been times when she was with other people or even by herself. They were minimal breaks apart, but it was enough for them.

“My love, it is okay to need some time alone.”

For a moment Calanthe thought about what she could do. It was too late for sword fighting, axe throwing, or horseback riding. She thought about going to another room to finish her reports, but she wanted a break from those as well. She glanced over to her bedside table and noticed a book that had been pushed to the side months ago and forgotten about.

“Maybe I’ll read.” Calanthe said as she stood.

Eist smirked. “I’ll do you one better.”

Carena was soon handed to Calanthe as Eist disappeared. She rocked Carena on her hip as she wondered what on the Continent Eist was doing. He soon reappeared, along with Yuri, who quickly drew Calanthe a bath and set out some wine for her. When Yuri was gone, Eist kissed her as he took Carena from her arms.

“Take all the time you need, my love.”

Calanthe smiled as the memory faded and shifted herself in the water. After finishing the chapter in her book and her glass of wine, Calanthe washed herself and climbed out of the tub. After slipping on her robe, she quietly made her way back to the bedchamber.

When Calanthe opened the door, Eist’s back was to her as he sat cross legged on the bed. As Calanthe walked closer, she could make out that Eist had a piece of parchment in his hand but was not sure if he was drawing or writing. After a few more steps, she could see Carena, who picked up a block and quickly dropped it. Eist’s posture shifted for a moment, and Carena burst out suddenly into a fit of laughter. Calanthe smirked to herself, Eist must have made a funny face at her. Carena looked up over Eist then and smiled as she cooed and held out her arms when she saw Calanthe.

Just as Eist began to turn around, Calanthe asked “And what are you up too?”

“Nothing.” Eist stammered as he failed miserably at attempting to hide the sketch behind his back.

“My darling, you have many talents, but lying is not one of them.” Calanthe said as she took a few steps towards Eist until she was standing so close that her hands rested on his shoulders.

Calanthe bent down and pressed a soft kiss to Eist’s lips just as he began to smirk. Her kiss was soft, so soft that their lips barely touched. It was enough to distract Eist, so she took advantage by reaching over his shoulder and snatching the parchment from his hand. Eist made a grab for it, but Calanthe was to fast as she smirked while she stepped away from him.

“What have you been…” Calanthe said playfully just before her face fell as she stared at the sketch in her hands. “Oh my Gods.”

It was a sketch of Carena. Eist had captured her smile perfectly. It was an impressively good drawing, especially considering it was not complete.

“It’s not finished yet.” Eist said quietly.

“It’s lovely.” Calanthe whispered as she sat down on the bed beside Eist and handed him the parchment back. “I didn’t realize…”

Guilt ran through her. She truly did not know what Eist was doing, and now that she did, she felt terrible taking the sketch from him and looking at it.

“It’s okay.” Eist said as he smiled softly at her. “It was meant to be a surprise for you. Well, not just this, there was more too it…”

Eist glanced up to see Calanthe smirking just before she pressed a kiss to his lips. “If it’s a surprise then stop telling me about the rest of it.” Calanthe said playfully. “And I will pretend I never saw a thing.”

\--

The days were more exhausting than ever now that they had resumed their normal roles at court. A banquet had been held earlier that day to mark the arrival of the ambassador from Kaedwen. Just after dessert, Eist made his usual suggestion that they leave the banquet early. Calanthe rarely agreed to it, but this time, she was more than happy to do so.

Carena was put down for a nap, and they took advantage of the time alone. They made love in the tub before bathing and were now currently lying together in bed. Despite their mutual exhaustion, Eist was looking over the daily reports from Skellige, reading them aloud to Calanthe as he went. Carena had woken from her nap just before he picked up the reports and was now in Calanthe’s arms as she rocked her. Calanthe listened, asked questions, and gave her suggestions at first, but soon became distracted as Carena smiled up at her while she cooed and gurgled in her arms.

Eist scooted over slightly and pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, darling. This little sea hound has me a bit distracted.”

“You love being a mother, don’t you?” Eist whispered fondly as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Calanthe chuckled lightly as she looked up at Eist. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Carena let out a soft “Ma.”

Both of their heads snapped back to Carena. “What did she just say?”

“Ma.” Calanthe said softly as she pressed her thumb gently to Carena’s palm and wrapped two of her fingers around her tiny hand. “Say it again, little one. Say Ma.”

Carena said it again, and after much coaxing by Calanthe, she let out a faint. “Mama.”

Calanthe could not help the tears that followed as she clutched Carena to her chest. Being called that for the first time by her baby daughter felt overwhelming in the best way possible. She thought back again to the weeks she spent in the evenings trying to teach Pavetta that she was to be called “Mama”, and not Pavetta’s governess, and how badly having to do so in the first place broke her heart.

This time was so different, in every possible way. Calanthe had been there for all of Carena’s firsts, including when she took her first wobbly steps before quickly plopping back down. And now she was here for this first too.

After a few moments, Calanthe shifted Carena in her arms again. Just as Carena nestled down, she looked up at Calanthe and said “Mama” again. Calanthe giggled as she sniffled and wiped her eyes just as Eist pressed a kiss to her temple.

“We’ll have to work on her saying “Papa” next.” Calanthe said softly through a smile as she pressed a kiss to Carena’s cheek.

Eist pressed another kiss to Calanthe’s temple, causing her to smile.

Soon Carena’s eyes were closing lazily as she drifted off to sleep. After she was placed in her cradle, Calanthe and Eist snuggled together in bed until they too fell asleep.


	35. Chapter 18A - Eist

**Chapter 18A – Eist**

**Years 1256/57**

Eist woke to the sound of Carena babbling away in her bassinet. An ornately carved room divider had been placed between their bed and bassinet with the idea that it would make for an easier transition to move Carena to her own bedchamber. The first few nights had been brutal with Carena crying for hours while Eist and Calanthe talked each other out of going to pick her up. Overtime she calmed though, and now she seemed to pay no mind to the fact that she could not see her parents from where she slept anymore.

Calanthe was still asleep and lying on her side, nuzzled against Eist’s chest while his arm draped over her back. He could feel her warm, steady breath against him, and he had to fight off it lulling him back to sleep. Eist rose quietly, untangling Calanthe from him as he went. When he was finally able to stand and go to Carena, she was lying on her back with both legs held in the air. She managed to grab one of her feet in her hands and seemed pleased enough with herself when she stuck her foot in her mouth. Eist smiled as he watched her and when she finally noticed him, she grinned widely.

“Good morning, little one.” Eist whispered as he gently picked her up and pressed her to him. “Did you sleep well?”

Carena looked up at Eist for a moment before she said “Papa” and then began to babble away.

“Well I’m glad to hear it.” Eist whispered as he chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead before climbing back into bed again.

He loved hearing Carena babble away as she did her best to imitate talking. She had learned to say “Papa” weeks after she said “Mama” and it was the sweetest thing Eist had ever heard.

When Eist settled back into bed with Carena against his chest, she turned her head to see her mother.

“Mama.” Carena giggled as she began to kick her feet into Eist’s stomach.

“Mama’s still sleeping.” Eist whispered as he pressed another kiss to her forehead.

\--

Hours passed and after much coaxing, Calanthe finally woke and joined Eist at the small dining table in their sitting room.

“Still tired, my love?” Eist asked through a smirk as he began to smash Carena’s blueberries with his fork.

Carena meanwhile sat on his leg while staring at the blueberries on his plate with wide eyes. Calanthe shook her head lightly as she began to spread jam on her toast. “It’s your fault. You kept me up half the night.”

“I apologize my Queen,” Eist said playfully as he held a small spoonful of blueberries to Carena, whose eyes crossed as she followed the spoon and opened her mouth wide, “I was under the impression that you were enjoying it.”

“You know bloody well I was enjoying it.” Calanthe said as she took another bite of toast.

Eist only winked at her in response while Carena cooed and ate her blueberries.

\--

One of Eist’s favorite pastimes had become taking Carena around the castle to babble and gurgle away at everyone they passed. She had reached the point where she was trying desperately to imitate holding a conversation, and it was downright comical to hear people respond to Carena in the way they thought she wanted them too.

When Eist entered the council chambers with Carena on his shoulders, most of Calanthe’s advisors, as well as the Temerian ambassador, were already present. Calanthe and Pavetta sat at the far end of the table, with Pavetta on her right and the chair to Calanthe’s left empty for him.

As Eist slipped Carena off of his shoulders and onto his lap, Carena let out a happy “Mama!” when she looked over and saw Calanthe, who smiled softly and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead before looking back up at Eist. “If she fusses you will have to take her away.” Calanthe said lowly.

“She’ll be fine. If anything, she can provide some much-needed entertainment for this dull affair.”

Eist smirked as Calanthe rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the table.

“Who all are we missing?” Mousesack asked aloud as he glanced around the room from where he sat beside Pavetta.

At that moment, Lord Hilqvuest came bustling in. Eist sighed when he realized the only empty seat left was beside himself.

“I apologize, your Majesties.” Hilqvuest said as he made his way around the table.

Eist turned his attention back down to Carena, who was currently busying herself by pulling at the button’s on Eist’s sleeve.

“A child in a council meeting?” Hilqvuest asked sharply as he sat down.

Just as Eist opened his mouth to tell Hilqvuest off, Carena looked up at him and began to babble away. A chuckle rolled out around the room from everyone, except Lord Hilqvuest, who instead rolled his eyes as he glanced down at Carena before looking back at the parchment in front of him.

“It is not appropriate for a child to be here.”

“Why not?” The Temerian ambassador asked. “The princess is doing no harm.”

“Princess.” Hilqvuest snorted out angrily. “The princess should be in her cradle until she is old enough to learn how to behave like a princess.”

Carena stopped babbling and hunched her shoulders as she turned to stare at Eist’s lap. She was far too young to understand what was said but could understand the anger in Hilqvuest’s voice all to clearly. Eist took a deep breath as he went to pick Carena up and place her in Calanthe’s lap. He was not entirely sure what he would do to Hilqvuest but grabbing him by the neck and dragging him into the hall would be a start. Eist’s mouth almost fell open when instead he heard Calanthe’s chair scrape loudly on the floor as she stood.

“I request your presence in the hall, Lord Hilqvuest.” Calanthe said coldly as she made her way towards the door.

Eist turned to look over to see Lord Hilqvuest roll his eyes as he shuffled his parchment.

“Did you not hear your Queen’s command?” Eist asked, his voice shaking with anger.

“Now!”

Calanthe screamed that time, and Eist could hear the guards scramble to open the door for her as he watched Lord Hilqvuest finally stand and follow behind her. The sound of Calanthe’s voice startled Carena, who jumped in Eist’s arms before she looked up at him with watering eyes.

“It’s okay, my little one.” Eist whispered as he picked Carena up and held her close to him. “Mama is taking care of him.”

“She is a sweet little thing.” The Temerian ambassador said. “I do not understand the nobleman’s problem.”

“He has always been like this.” Pavetta said while she sat with her arms crossed. “He has a very public dislike of women who hold any type of authority.”

“Pathetic.” The Temrian ambassador said.

“Yes. Yes, he is.” Eist agreed as Carena began to smile again.

\--

It took so long for Calanthe to return that Eist debated on whether or not he should attempt to find her. Pavetta started the meeting in her mother’s stead, and Eist had to admit that he was impressed with how well she carried the room. Though she would never be the warrior queen that her mother was, she held her own kind of power and authority that garnered her equal respect. Pavetta would indeed make a fine queen one day.

When Calanthe did finally return, Hilqvuest was noticeably absent.

“Perhaps we should take a break.” Pavetta said. “Take some time to stretch your legs gentlemen. I will have our midday meal brought up in a little while.”

The advisors and ambassador understood the subtle notion for them to exit the room, leaving all but Eist, Calanthe, Pavetta, and Mousesack gathered around the table.

“Please tell me you killed him.” Eist said after the door was shut by the last exiting guard.

Just as Calanthe went to respond, Carena let out a soft “Mama” as she held her arms out to Calanthe. Eist smiled lightly as Calanthe leaned over and pulled Carena tightly into her arms before pressing a kiss to the top of her head that was fuller than ever of thick, loose curls.

“No, I did not kill him.” Calanthe said as she leaned back in her chair with Carena’s head resting on her shoulder. “But perhaps I should have.”

“Why do you say that?” Pavetta asked.

“He is outright obsessed with having me off the throne and a man in my place. Now I’m beginning to question just how far he will go to make that happen.”

“Has he threatened you?” Eist asked.

“No. He is not stupid enough to threaten a sitting monarch.”

“Are you worried he will try to harm you? That is grounds to be arrested, your Majesty.”

Calanthe glanced up at Mousesack. “That’s the trouble, I cannot tell if he is bold enough to try something or not.”

“Then what are you worried for?” Eist asked as he gently put his hand on her knee under the table.

“He holds a great deal of influence over the nobility and aristocracy. I have no idea why; he has the charisma of a shoe. He has a great deal of influence though, almost as if he has control over them.”

“What does that have to do with you?” Pavetta asked.

“He could convince them to have me removed from the throne, for a start.”

Eist snorted. “That is not possible, the throne belongs to your family. Besides, they don’t have that kind of power.”

“They hold more power than you realize. The sooner you accept that, the better. There are extended branches of the royal family, other’s that the crown could be passed to. They would end up being controlled by the aristocracy and nobles of course, but what would they care? They would live the life of a King, and that is all that matters to them.”

Eist nodded. “So, the nobility consists of a group of men who hate you because you are a woman, and then hate you even more because you don’t bend to their will.”

Calanthe nodded as she pressed another kiss to the top of Carena’s head.

“It’s simple, my love. We will just do away with all the nobles. We can make new ones and you can choose them yourself.”

Calanthe chuckled. “It’s not that simple. Not every nobleman and member of the aristocracy has ill intentions. Some of them are very loyal and have Cintra’s best interests in mind. But most of them are out for power and coin and could care less about what happens to Cintra or its citizens in the process. However, it would not look good to the people if I suddenly began chopping off the noblemen’s heads. I worry the people have been manipulated, and while some of them are loyal to the crown, many have turned their loyalty to their overlords. And I will not win back their loyalty with executions.”

“If you charged the noblemen and executed them, it would cause the remaining noblemen to turn on you, at least the ones who are disloyal.” Eist said, finally understanding the full magnitude of what was occurring. “And if they did not turn on you, your citizens would because they have been led to believe in the falsities that they have been fed.”

“It’s a political game, Eist. And one that I do not enjoy playing. I cannot do anything about Hilqvuest, at least not until he slips up and does something foolish to give me tangible proof of his treachery. Now all I have are theories, and when theories without proof are acted upon, revolt often starts. I have worked to temper his worst ideas to keep him in check, but occasionally go along with him only to prevent him from starting an all-out coup.”

Eist found Calanthe’s hand under the table and took it in his own, wondering what should be done about the situation they were in. There seemed to be no obvious course of action. The threats facing Calanthe and her crown were subtle and made without a trace. Even with the manipulation and treachery going on around her, Calanthe was pushed into a corner, unable to act without causing a much larger problem. Eist had seen anarchy before. When kingdoms fell, their monarchs were tortured and brutally killed.

What made matters worse was that the crimes Calanthe would no doubt be charged with would be false. Cintra was thriving, its military stronger than it had ever been, its economy booming, poverty at a record low, and education on the rise. There were still problems of course. Violence was hard to prevent and control, and taxes had been raised several times over the last few years to help fund additional guards in an attempt to keep the city streets safe. With what money was left over, Calanthe had it distributed to farmers and butchers to ensure that the city’s emergency food supply was always kept full and soup kitchens kept open for the less fortunate.

The average citizen would not be aware of this though, there is no way they could be. Instead taxes could be misled as painting Calanthe as selfish, her insistence at having a large military made to seem as though she was a warmonger, and the funds going towards food manipulated as if Calanthe was hoarding the food for the royal family.

“There are wolves at the gate,” Calanthe whispered, “And they are dangerously close to getting in.”

“Lions and sea hounds are stronger than wolves, my love.” Eist whispered as he squeezed her hand under the table.

\--

Eist spent days, then weeks, which turned into months thinking of ways to solve the problem at hand. He admittedly had little political skill though, and while he could advise as to what to do in battle, he could offer no advice on how to handle defiant nobleman. If it were up to him, they would have been tried for treason with their heads on spikes. He was well aware of the consequences of that though, and the only reason why he abandoned the idea was he knew a Cintran civil war would destroy not only their kingdom, but Calanthe herself. The thought made him shudder at the idea of them holding up arms against their own citizens who had been manipulated into believing that their Queen meant them harm.

“You look awfully deep in thought.” Calanthe whispered as she closed their bedchamber door.

Eist blinked then, pulling himself back into the present as Calanthe untied her robe and tossed it on a nearby chair.

“Is she asleep?” Eist asked as she climbed into bed beside him.

“Yes. It did not take long tonight. Our little sea hound was quite tired from her adventure at the harbor.”

Eist chuckled as he kissed Calanthe’s forehead while she pressed her naked body against his. He had taken Carena and Ciri to the docks and ended up spending the majority of their day there. Carena was quickly developing a fascination with boats just as Ciri had, and Eist could not wait for the day when she would be old enough to begin to learn how to sail.

They laid in silence for a little while as the fire crackled. Their hands moved gently over each other’s bodies, Eist’s up and down Calanthe’s back and Calanthe’s up and down Eist’s arms. Calanthe began to stir then, just slightly, and Eist began to feel sweat forming on her body.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked softly as his hand stilled against her back.

Calanthe lifted herself off of his chest and Eist could see the color was gone from her face.

“I feel sick to my stomach and my head is bothering me quite a bit.”

Eist furrowed his brow as he lifted his hand to her head. She did feel rather warm.

“Did this just start?” Eist asked as he moved to sit himself up.

Calanthe sat up as she nodded her head.

“You have not been around anyone that is sick.” Eist thought aloud.

He looked closer at her as he spoke and noticed that Calanthe’s eyes looked strange. Eist reached to the bedside table and quickly lit a candle before holding it up to Calanthe. Her pupils were massive, making the caramel color of her eyes almost impossible to see, even as the candlelight shone near them. Calanthe blinked heavily as she took a deep breath.

“I feel dizzy.” She said as she laid herself down.

Eist set the candle down quickly before reaching for her wrist. Calanthe’s pulse was racing, her breath was beginning to sound labored, and she was sweating more than before. Eist all but leapt out of bed as he reached for his robe.

“I’m going to get Mousesack, my love.” Eist whispered.

Calanthe did not respond.

“Calanthe?” Eist asked as he shook her. “Calanthe?”

Eist could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he reached for her wrist again. Her pulse was there, and still pounding far faster than it should. He gulped, debating if he should get help or ask a guard to do it for him. Eist decided to go himself so he could explain what was happening, and as he sprinted down to Mousesack’s quarters, he prayed that he was not making the wrong choice.

\--

Calanthe was shaking violently and beginning to vomit when Eist and Mousesack came bursting back into the bedchamber. She had rolled onto her back, and Eist was there just in time to roll her to her side before she began to choke.

“She was not doing this when I left her.” Eist whispered as panic rushed through him.

“And this started suddenly?” Mousesack asked while he used his fingers to force open one of Calanthe’s eyes.

“Yes. She was fine earlier.”

Mousesack held his hand to Calanthe’s forehead before moving his fingers to her wrist to feel her pulse.

“I believe she has been poisoned.” Mousesack said urgently as he quickly moved to a crate he had brought with him full of vials of potions.

“What?” Eist asked.

Eist thought back through their evening. They had eaten from the same platters of food and drank from the same pitcher of beer.

Except for the glass of wine.

A glass of wine had been brought for Calanthe. A single glass. When she questioned why there was not one for Eist, the servant girl said she had forgotten it. Eist had believed her and waved it off, and said he was fine and did not need a glass for himself.

“Can you think of anything she ate or drank that could have been poisoned?”

“Yes.” Eist said as he felt himself becoming sick with the realization as to what had happened. “The Queen drank a glass of wine at dinner. She was the only one who was served it.”

Eist did not realize that he was staring into nothing as he spoke, that was until Mousesack asked him to hold Calanthe up. When he looked back down, he realized that she was still naked and had vomit on one of her hands and arms. Eist carefully lifted her as Mousesack poured a potion down her throat.

“What is that?” Eist asked as he used the sheet on the bed to cover Calanthe the best he could while he held her in his arms.

“It will induce heavy vomiting to try to get this out of her system. I gave it to you after you were stabbed in Skellige.” Mousesack said as he emptied the vial into Calanthe’s mouth while he made small circles on her throat to coax her to swallow.

“What if this does not work?” Eist asked.

Mousesack did not respond, but instead only looked away.

\--

Hours passed and the vomiting and shaking had finally stopped. Eist sat on the edge of the bed with Calanthe on her side, drawing ragged breaths as he rubbed her arm.

“It should all be out of her system.” Mousesack said as he felt Calanthe’s pulse. “Her heartrate is finally slowing. That is a good sign.”

Eist took a deep breath and stood as he watched Mousesack move to check her pupils and then her forehead. “Her pupils are not yet at their normal size, but they are not nearly as dilated as they were. And her temperature is coming down as well.”

Eist let out a breath he did not realize he was holding as Mousesack froze.

“Did she feed the princess after she drank that wine?”

“No.” Eist said. “Carena was fed before we ate.”

Eist gulped. If Carena had not been hungry when she had been, she very well could have been fed by Calanthe after she ate. Eist felt sick to his stomach at the thought of Calanthe poisoning their daughter without knowing it.

“Thank the Gods.” Mousesack said as he sighed to himself. “Do you have that glass of wine by chance?”

Eist thought for a moment and then remembered that they did not have servants come to clear their plates before they retired to bed. He went swiftly into the sitting room and found the glass of wine sitting on the table, just where Calanthe had left it. When Eist picked it up, he noticed that there were still several sips worth of wine left behind.

“Here.” Eist said as he quickly made his way back into the bedchamber. “She did not finish it.”

“I was hoping that was the case.” Mousesack said as he took the glass.

Eist returned to sit beside Calanthe on the bed while still watching Mousesack on the far side of the room. He pulled a jar of clear potion from his crate and used a small spoon to take a sample of the wine before dropping it into the jar. When the wine mixed with the clear potion, it turned black.

“What does that mean?” Eist asked.

“It means that the Queen was indeed poisoned. And with a particularly lethal dosage at that. We reached her just in time. If a few more minutes had passed…”

“You don’t need to finish.” Eist interrupted as he looked down at Calanthe.

She was almost taken from him. His wife, his lover, his closest friend, the mother of his child, his queen. Tears sprang in Eist’s eyes as anger ran him.

“Has the Queen received any threats lately?” Mousesack asked.

“No, she would have told me.” Eist said lowly.

“You don’t think this was one of the noblemen, do you?” Mousesack asked as he stood and walked to Eist.

Eist looked up at Mousesack, who understood without speaking that that was exactly who Eist suspected.

“Who served the Queen the wine?”

Eist thought for a moment, and then remembered that it was the same servant who had asked if he remembered her at Carena’s presentation banquet. He had occasionally seen her around the palace since then but never did remember where he recognized her from.

“A female servant. I don’t know her name.”

“Would you remember her if you saw her again?”

“I would.”

“Well, we have two options. We could ask Pavetta to sit with Calanthe and wake the servants now to attempt to find her in the hopes that if she was involved. If we find her, we may just catch her by surprise and before she has a chance to leave. Or, we could wait until morning. There is a greater risk that she could escape, but it would allow you to stay with the Queen.”

“You are confident that Calanthe will make it through the night?”

“I am.” Mousesack said.

“Then I want to find that woman now.”

\--

Finding a servant in a palace full of them turned out to be more difficult than Eist could have imagined. It also did not help that Pavetta had a mild breakdown when she was brought to her mother’s chambers and had to be calmed quickly by Mousesack as wind began to whirl around her.

As the night turned to morning, exhaustion began to take hold and the faces that Eist was looking at began to blur together.

“I am looking for a servant woman.” Eist said as he towered over the servant he was currently speaking to. He was becoming increasingly desperate to find who he was looking for and was now interrogating every servant whose door was opened in hopes that they would lead him to her. “She has fair skin and hair and served the Queen last night.”

“I think you are looking for Elin, your Majesty.” The woman said.

“Which room can we find her in?”

The servant smirked, which Eist was in no mood for as he glared back at her. “I apologize, your Majesty. She said you visit her room quite often. I would assume you know where it is.”

Eist blinked. For a moment he was sure that he was hearing things.

“What did you just say?”

“She’s told us all about it, your Majesty. Your affair and how it began in a tavern near the harbor. It sounds quite romantic.”

Eist almost vomited while the servant swooned over an affair that was not taking place.

“There is no affair.” Eist said, his voice as low as a growl.

“It’s alright, your Majesty. I understand the Queen cannot find out.”

Eist stood suddenly, already tired of this charade. “There is no affair. You have been fed an awful lot of lies. Now, tell me, where is Elin?”

\--

Eist had the guards retrieve Elin from her room and bring her to him in the gate keep. At first, he had gone to get her himself, but realized his fury was too great, and therefor decided to take a few minutes to calm himself. Now Eist sat at a small table with only a single chair across from him with his elbows pressed at the tables edge and his fingers linked in front of him.

When Elin was finally brought to him, her hands were tied behind her back before the guards left the room.

“Do you remember me yet?” Elin asked through a smirk.

Eist sighed. “I do, unfortunately.”

Elin went to speak again, but this time Eist held up his hand. “You don’t speak unless you are spoken to.”

Eist took a few more moments to steady his breath as he felt his anger rising again. As he did, he glanced over Elin’s shoulder and noticed a folded piece of parchment on the ground that was not there before. Curiosity got the better of him as he stood and picked it up, unfolding it as he went, before sitting back down and beginning to read.

“Where did you get that?” Elin asked suddenly.

Eist held up his finger again, silencing her as he read. His stomach dropped and his heart was beginning to pound in his ears. The letter was addressed to Elin, referenced Eist meeting her and giving her coin, and ended with an order to kill the Queen, by any means necessary. Eist almost scoffed when he read who it was signed by. It was a single letter, just one capital H.

“Where you even a prostitute when I met you in the tavern?” Eist asked as he folded the letter and tucked it away in his tunic. “Keep in mind, you will not leave the gate keep alive. There is no point in adding to the lies now.”

Elin rolled her eyes before saying, “No.”

Eist nodded his head as he pursed his lips. “Was the child yours?”

“He is my nephew.”

“Ahh.” Eist said as he nodded his head again. “What became of the child you were carrying?”

“I was never with child.” Elin said through a laugh. “What you saw was a well-positioned pillow under an ill-fitting dress.”

Eist swallowed as he pursed his lips and looked down at his lap.

“I was told to meet you, by any means necessary. It was well known that the Queen was with child, which made it easy enough to garner your sympathy. I must admit, I was planning on sleeping with you, and thought that was your intention as well when we left the tavern, but that sadly fell through.”

Eist sighed to himself. “So, the plan was to what? Sleep with me and somehow that would lead to you killing the Queen?”

“The plan was to seduce you into getting me into the palace to live as your lover. From there, I would have full access to her Majesty.”

Eist, despite his anger, burst out laughing. “And you thought that would work?”

“It has in the past, in similar situations with other Kings.” Elin said as annoyance flashed in her eyes.

“So, you failed in seducing me, so you found another way into the palace?”

“Yes. It was funny, the Queen sent a barrel of coin a few days later with a note recommending that I take up a trade. It was she who gave me the idea to find employment in the palace. You not remembering me put another kink in my plans, but I found a way around it.”

“What does me not remembering you have to do with anything?”

“I was hoping you would have remembered the night of the princess’s banquet. I planned on announcing that we were having an affair at that time, but that would only work if you remembered me. It would have caused the Queen such embarrassment. I even had a glass of wine ready but could not find a way to serve it to her that would not risk someone else drinking it by mistake. It was a shame. That poison is difficult to make and takes time to brew. If someone else died in her palace though, the Queen would have gone on high alert, so it was not worth the risk. Instead, I bided my time.”

“I see. Your plan was much more elaborate than you first let on. You not only wanted to kill the Queen, but you wanted to humiliate her over an affair that never occurred?”

Elin nodded.

“Why? Where does this hatred come from?”

“Hatred? I don’t hate the Queen. I was hired to do this job, and I intend on seeing it through.”

“Yes. You were offered a very large sum of coin. You were given five thousand ducats at the start of the contract and were to be given another ten thousand once the Queen was dead.” Eist said as he held up the letter. “So, what are you exactly? A bounty hunter, mercenary, hitman...?”

“I prefer assassin, but it does not really matter now, does it?”

“No, it does not.” Eist said as he stood. Just as he reached the door, he looked back over his shoulder and asked, “The letter is signed with an H. Who is that?”

“That is one question that I will not be answering.” Elin said as she turned her head to look over her shoulder at Eist out of the corner of her eye. “I cannot give away all my secrets. And as you said, I will not make it out of the gate keep alive either way.”

All the rage Eist suppressed came flowing out at once. Elin’s face hit the table before Eist realized what he was doing, and when he grabbed her neck to lift her back up and noticed the blood coming from her nose, he regretted what he did, but only for a moment.

“I asked you a question.” Eist said as Elin laughed. “Who is the letter from?”

“Come now, your Majesty.” Elin whispered. “Do I really need to tell you what the H stands for?”

Eist laughed that time. “I need to hear it. And I will beat you into a bloody pulp if that is what it takes to get it out of you.”

“You’re not as benevolent as I thought you were.”

“You came perilously close to killing the love of my life, and you could have killed my daughter.” Eist whispered in her ear just before smashing her face into the table again.

When he lifted Elin back up, she was no longer laughing, and for the first time Eist saw fear in her eyes. “Now, I am done playing games. What does the H stand for?”

“Hilqvuest.”

\--

“I want ten guards at her door at all times. No one comes in or out unless it is myself or the Queen.” Eist commanded to Danek as he shut the door behind him that led to Elin’s cell. “And I want Vissegerd to come to my chambers at once.”

\--

Calanthe was still asleep when Eist arrived back to his chambers. Pavetta had fallen asleep beside her and was holding Carena. Mousesack sat slumped over in a chair near the fire and was snoring so loudly he wondered how that alone had not woken Calanthe. Eist first went to Calanthe’s side and smiled softly as he felt her forehead. Her fever had passed, and her breath had steadied. After a few moments, Eist crossed the bedchamber to Mousesack and tugged on his sleeve to wake him.

Mousesack stretched as he stood. Before following Eist to the sitting room, he checked on Calanthe again himself.

“She is doing well. Her recovery is quite speedy, and she may wake in a few hours.”

“Good.” Eist said softly through a smile.

“So, did you find the servant?”

“I did.” Eist said before explaining to Mousesack what happened.

“Gods, I thought she looked familiar!” Mousesack exclaimed when Eist was finished. “I thought I was losing my mind with thinking I had seen her before.”

“You had indeed, unfortunately.”

Mousesack sighed. “Well, have you had Hilqvuest arrested yet?”

“Not yet.” Eist said. “I want to play him at his own game.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

A knock sounded at the door then, and when Eist opened it, Vissegerd was standing there.

\--

“I can’t believe it.” Vissegerd said with his fists balled in anger. “That is treason! Your Majesty, I must arrest him immediately. He must be executed!”

“He will be.” Eist said softly. “I do not believe he is inside the city walls. He has not been seen in weeks. Send scouts out to find him. He has a home off the Cintran coast. If he is there, he will not be hard to find.”

“And when they find him?”

“A courier will be sent to him with a letter announcing that the Queen is dead.”

‘What?” Mousesack and Vissegerd asked in unison.

“I want him to think he has won. He will be pleased that he succeeded, and I am sure that he will lay low and keep to his home, if that is indeed where he is. The Queen and I will go to arrest him ourselves. She deserves to see the look of shock on his face when he realizes that he failed.”

“And what if word gets out that the Queen is dead? It will throw the city into chaos, especially with the announcement coming from a nobleman and not the palace.”

“He won’t leak the information. He will have to play the part of a lord in mourning. It would damage his image if he appeared gleeful that his Queen was killed, especially in such a horrific way.”

Mousesack chuckled, “It seems you have developed a taste for politics after all.”

\--

Eist was sitting in a chair holding Carena beside the bed when Calanthe woke. Pavetta had gone back to her chambers once she was promised repeatedly by Mousesack that her mother would be fine. Mousesack went to arrange taste testers for every member of the royal family until further notice, and Vissegerd left to prepare his scouts to track down Hilqvuest.

When Calanthe woke, she blinked heavily for a few moments before she focused on Eist and smiled.

“I love you.” Eist whispered softly as he pressed Carena into Calanthe’s arms before falling to his knees at the edge of the bed.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered back, her voice hoarse as Eist pressed a kiss to her lips.

They stayed that way for a while, their heads pressed together with Carena held tightly in her mother’s arms. A weight that he had not realized vanished at the feeling of nuzzling against her. Eist kissed her again before he stood and walked to their mantle to pour Calanthe a mule of water. For a moment Eist stared at the glass, and then sniffed it. It smelled fine, but he took a sip himself just to be sure. The water tasted fresh, and it would be nearly impossible to mask the taste of poison in something as simple as water.

“What happened?” Calanthe asked as Eist crossed the room to her again.

\--

“That bastard.” Calanthe said when Eist finished. “That stupid fucking bastard.”

Eist stayed silent as he watched Calanthe’s expression change from anger to sadness.

“What if I had fed her?” Calanthe stammered out before succumbing to tears.

“I know.” Eist whispered as he leaned in to press soft kisses to her face. “I know. But she is safe, my love.”

Calanthe pulled back and nodded. “Has he been arrested?”

“Not yet.”

“Not yet?” Calanthe asked as shock fell over her face. “Eist, he must be arrested. I would have thought you would have killed him yourself already.”

“Believe me, I would love nothing more than to rip him apart, limb by limb.” Eist said. “But I have another idea.”

\--

“I believe the student has become the master.” Calanthe said as she rocked Carena in her arms while Eist smiled. “I like your plan; I just hope it does not backfire.”

“If you think it is too much of a risk, we don’t have to do it.”

“No, I like the idea of playing him at his own game.” Calanthe said as she smiled down at Carena. “It will make him suffer all the more.”

\--

It was late in the afternoon the following day when Eist woke and finally gave up on sleep. His dreams had been terrible and Calanthe had woken him more than once to stop his screaming. Each dream was worse than the one that came before, and each ended with not getting Mousesack to Calanthe in time. When they both finally rose from bed, Eist washed Calanthe’s hair before they relaxed in the tub. Next came Carena’s bath, which brought some much-needed happiness as she splashed around playfully in her little tub.

Their mid-day meal was served in their chambers, and they were joined by Pavetta, Ciri, Duny, and Mousesack.

“Why are they eating the food, Mama?” Eist heard Ciri ask Pavetta quietly.

Eist sighed. Ciri would not understand the concept of taste testing food, and she should not have too.

“They are making sure it tastes okay, that’s all.” Pavetta said quietly before looking over at Eist and gently placing her hand on the back of Ciri’s head.

Vissegerd arrived near the end of their meal and looked as though he would collapse with relief when he saw his Queen.

“Your Majesty,” Vissegerd said as he took to his knee “I am relieved to see that you are well again.”

“As am I.” Calanthe said lightly as she motioned for him to rise. “Have you found him?”

“Yes, your Majesty. He is at his home on the Cintran coast as the King predicted. We waited for a full day, and he has not left his home once. I still have a few scouts stationed there in case he attempts to leave, but there are no signs of that as of yet.”

“Good.” Calanthe said as she turned to Eist.

“There is more though, your Majesty.” Vissegerd said as Calanthe turned back to him with her brow raised.

“He has a large band of men with him. They appear to be hired thugs. Thirty were counted, but there could be many more inside. They are heavily armored, but their weapons looked crude.”

“Well, that will certainly make things more interesting.” Eist said. “If he wants a fight, then that is what he will get.”

\--

“If I were a man, none of this would have happened.” Calanthe whispered.

They were lying naked in bed, both beaded with sweat. At first, they had spent the night discussing battle tactics and attempting to decide how many soldiers would be needed to arrest Hilqvuest. Eist had insisted on taking five men for every one of Hilqvuest’s, while Calanthe argued that that was excessive. There were countless reasons why Eist found Calanthe utterly irresistible, and one of them was when her brow furrowed when they argued. Eist finally took her face in his hands, even as she rolled her eyes and continued to make her point, and then pressed a kiss to her lips. He half expected her to pull away, but instead was all but dragged into the bedchamber and pushed on his back into the bed.

“Well I am very much glad that you were not born a man.” Eist whispered back.

Calanthe swatted at his chest then, causing Eist to chuckle as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I guess we will continue deciding just how many soldiers we need in the morning.” Calanthe said through a yawn.

“We will take whatever you feel is right, my love.” Eist whispered lazily as Calanthe nuzzled against his jaw.

“Whatever I feel is right?” Calanthe asked as she pressed a kiss on top of his beard. “You certainly have changed your tune.”

“That very beautiful and exceptionally talented mouth of yours has convinced me otherwise.”

Eist squirmed for a moment as Calanthe poked him in the ribs.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered as she settled against Eist again.

“I love you too.” Eist whispered back.

Calanthe pressed a few more kisses into Eist’s jaw and he soon drifted off to sleep.


	36. Chapter 18B - Calanthe

**Chapter 18B – Calanthe**

**Years 1256/57**

“Wake up, my love.”

Calanthe sighed softly at the sound of Eist’s words, not being entirely sure if she was dreaming or not. Next came a soft kiss on her left eye, and then her right. The corners of Calanthe’s mouth lifted upward, and Eist must have noticed, because next came a firmer kiss on her lips. Calanthe could not help but kiss him back as Eist rested his palm against her cheek.

“Come back to bed darling.” Calanthe whispered when they finally broke apart.

“As much as I would love to, we have a hungry daughter to feed.”

Calanthe let out a sigh after Eist pecked her on the lips before pulling away.

“Breakfast will be brought up soon.” Eist called out as he walked out of the bedchamber holding Carena with one arm. “I’m having your favorite jam up brought up for you.”

“Now I feel like your bribing me.” Calanthe called back through a smile as she sat up in bed.

The sun was streaming through the open window as Calanthe slipped out from under the covers and stretched her arms over her head. Just as she tied her robe around her waist, she heard their food cart being wheeled into their sitting room. Calanthe smiled as she sat down beside Eist. Carena was sitting on his knee and began to coo when she saw Calanthe. She leaned forward and took her daughters little chubby face in her hands as she pressed kisses all over her, prompting a giggle from Carena. When Calanthe pulled away, Carena began to bounce on Eist’s knee while kicking her legs excitedly as she watched her father smash her blueberries.

Calanthe turned her attention to the food cart as she pulled a piece of toast on her plate and picked up the small serving bowl of freshly made jam. She let out a yawn as she picked up her knife.

“Still tired, my love?” Eist asked through a smirk.

Calanthe shook her head lightly as she began to spread jam on her toast. “It’s your fault. You kept me up half the night.”

Most nights once was enough, leaving both of them too exhausted to do much else besides lying in each other’s arms before falling asleep. Other nights, once was not nearly enough, and last night was one such night. They were simply unable to keep their hands off of each other. After the third time, they were both satisfied enough to stop, giving Calanthe just enough energy to press her humming body against his side and nuzzle into Eist’s chest before she fell asleep.

“I apologize my Queen,” Eist said playfully. “I was under the impression that you were enjoying it.”

“You know bloody well I was enjoying it.” Calanthe said as she took another bite of toast.

\--

Calanthe’s braid had just been pinned into place and her hair comb carefully inserted when Pavetta arrived in her chambers.

“Are you ready, mother?” Pavetta called as she knocked lightly on the bedchamber door.

Calanthe sighed as she took a final glance in the looking glass. The Temerian ambassador had arrived unexpectedly yesterday and was in no doubt in need of something, but what that was, Calanthe was not sure of yet. There was also the added stress at the possibility of having to raise taxes again. The Cintran population was growing rapidly, which meant more mouths to ensure were fed and more citizens to protect. As it was, Calanthe had enlisted additional farmers to keep the city’s emergency food supply stocked at all times, but that supply now needed to be refreshed and expanded. Calanthe had lived through periods before she was queen when her father had let the stockpile run out. It happened once when war broke out, and once again when a particularly harsh winter struck. Starvation spread quickly across the kingdom, which would have been prevented if her father had been prepared.

“I’ll be right there.” Calanthe said through a sigh as she applied her lipstick.

\--

An empty seat was left beside Calanthe at every council meeting at her command, insisting that the King would always have a seat available. In truth, the seat was left empty more in the hopes that Eist would join her in her council meetings. Calanthe understood and respected Eist’s disdain for politics, but that did not change the fact that whenever he attended a meeting, it brought a level of comfort and ease that would help make the day go by faster. Not to mention Calanthe often found humor in Eist’s inappropriate jokes, even though for appearances sake, she pretended not to.

Calanthe was not expecting Eist, who had left as she was getting ready with Carena sitting on his shoulders. Jealously panged her that Eist had the freedom to run around the palace as he wished with their daughter and often Ciri in tow. Calanthe understood and accepted her responsibilities, but there was a part of her that would rather be with her husband and baby daughter.

When Eist came waltzing through the door, still with Carena on his shoulders, Calanthe had to resist the smile that was pulling at the corners of her mouth. To make it even better, as Eist slipped Carena off of his shoulders and onto his lap, Carena let out a happy “Mama!” when she looked over and saw Calanthe. Calanthe smiled softly and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead before looking back up at Eist. “If she fusses you will have to take her away.”

Carena was a remarkably well-behaved child, but she still had her moments. On more than one occasion she had broken out into fits of screaming and tears in the middle of a council meeting, which did not bode well for policy making and planning military tactics.

“She’ll be fine. If anything, she can provide some much-needed entertainment for this dull affair.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes as Eist smirked while she turned her attention back to the table.

“Who all are we missing?” Mousesack asked aloud as he glanced around the room from where he sat beside Pavetta.

At that moment, Lord Hilqvuest came bustling in.

“I apologize, your Majesties.” Hilqvuest said as he made his way around the table.

Calanthe felt her lip curl slightly when she watched Hilqvuest’s eyes fall on Carena, who was currently sitting in Eist’s lap and pulling at the buttons on his sleeve.

“A child in a council meeting?” Hilqvuest asked sharply as he sat down.

Carena looked up at Hilqvuest then and began to babble away. A chuckle rolled out around the room from everyone, except Lord Hilqvuest, who instead rolled his eyes as he glanced down at Carena before looking back at the parchment in front of him.

“It is not appropriate for a child to be here.”

“Why not?” The Temerian ambassador asked. “The princess is doing no harm.”

“Princess.” Hilqvuest snorted out angrily. “The princess should be in her cradle until she is old enough to learn how to behave like a princess.”

Carena stopped babbling and hunched her shoulders as she turned to stare at Eist’s lap. She was far too young to understand what was said but the anger in Hilqvuest’s voice was obvious.

Calanthe had tolerated Hilqvuest for a long time, perhaps too long. The constant jabs and remarks against her were one thing. It was another to upset her daughter. The look on her daughters face broke Calanthe’s heart, and before she realized what she was doing, Calanthe was standing and scraping her chair against the stone floor as she pushed it back.

“I request your presence in the hall, Lord Hilqvuest.” Calanthe said coldly as she made her way towards the door.

“Did you not hear your Queen’s command?” Eist asked, his voice shaking with anger.

Calanthe waited just another second with her back to Hilqvuest, waiting for the sound of his own chair being pushed back. The sound did not come though, and Calanthe felt she was ready to spit fire. The disrespect had gone too far, and she was tired of it.

“Now!”

The scraping sound finally came then, and Calanthe had to resist the urge to push the door back into Hilqvuest’s face as she led the way into the hall.

\--

The guards were quickly dismissed, leaving Calanthe and Hilqvuest alone in the hall.

“I have had enough of you.” Calanthe warned.

“The feeling is mutual.” Hilqvuest snapped back.

“Do you realize who you are talking too?” Calanthe asked slowly.

“I do, your Majesty. I am talking to the beloved Calanthe of Cintra, the Queen who never learned her place.”

Calanthe was shaking with anger as her eyes narrowed. “Never learned my place, you say? I prefer to think that I earned my place. Tell me, Lord Hilqvuest, how many times have you led an army into battle? How many victories have you won?”

“You did all of the things a man should have done. You manipulated the late King Roegner and kept him from his rightful role as king.”

“Be careful. The Cintran throne runs through my blood. The role was never his right.”

Hilqvuest laughed. “We were all beginning to think you would drive this kingdom into the ground with your insistence at staying unwed. Then you finally wed the sea hound, and for a little while I thought there was hope. He was certainly no one’s first choice, but it was far better than having the hedgehog declared king. At first it seemed as though you would be brought it line. You can imagine the distress it caused when we learned that the sea hound handed over his kingly authority to you. Tell me, what kind of man does that?”

“The kind that sees past crowns and power, Lord Hilqvuest. He is a far better person than you and I will ever be.”

“You say better, I say weaker. He walks around all day with a child, and a daughter no less. At the very least you could have given him a son to mentor, but you could not even manage that. It is as though neither one of you ever learned what your positions entail. The way the two of you act would be an embarrassment in any other court, yet some in Cintra find it acceptable for the woman to be the ruler and the man to raise the child.”

“The King is perfectly happy with a daughter.” Calanthe spat out. “Cintra is thriving and you know it. And that is what bothers you so much, is it not?”

“What bothers me is there is a way that things should be done. Cintra has traditions and ways of doing things and you seem bent on changing those traditions.” Hilqvuest shook his head then. “Where you see a thriving Cintra, I only see a kingdom who is ruled by a woman who still even after this conversation, still has not learned her place.”

“Enough!” Calanthe screamed as her anger boiled over. Enough was enough. “I hereby banish you from court.”

Hilqvuest laughed again. “You cannot do that. I control apart of your land. My presence is required in court. And what I do not have direct control over, I have much influence over at the very least.”

Calanthe pursed her lips as Hilqvuest’s mouth twisted into a smile.

“You are quite the conundrum, your Majesty. You act so much like a man yet are so sensitive when it comes to any criticism over your rule. A king would not let such talk bother him.”

_“Sensitive?”_ Calanthe thought to herself. She had listened to the comments since she was crowned at her inability to rule, based on the sole fact that she was a woman. And she had fought back from what often felt like being backed into a corner, by herself, against it all.

“I will repeat myself only once.” Calanthe said, her voice low, yet as sharp as the edge of the dagger on her hip. “I banish you from court.”

Hilqvuest looked at her for a moment, almost as if he was in shock.

“If you do not leave my palace immediately, your presence will be considered an act of treason.”

Hilqvuest gave Calanthe one final glare before silently storming off down the hall. Calanthe waited until he was out of sight to take a deep breath as she pressed her back against the cold stone wall. She sighed as angry tears stung her eyes. Her entire life had been spent proving she was just as capable as any man, yet it seemed there were still plenty that believed she was not. In a way, Calanthe wondered why she was letting their opinions matter to her at all. But even as much as she wished they did not matter; she knew they did. Their opinions, no matter how unjustified, could have influence over others. And their influence, if strong and convincing enough, could very well cost Calanthe her throne.

\--

“Perhaps we should take a break.” Pavetta said as Calanthe made her way silently back into the council chambers. “Take some time to stretch your legs gentlemen. I will have our midday meal brought up in a little while.”

The advisors and ambassador understood the subtle notion for them to exit the room, leaving all but Calanthe, Eist, Pavetta, and Mousesack gathered around the table.

“Please tell me you killed him.” Eist said after the door was shut by the last exiting guard.

Just as Calanthe went to respond, Carena let out a soft “Mama” as she held her little arms out to Calanthe. Calanthe leaned over and pulled Carena tightly into her arms before pressing a kiss to the top of her head that was fuller than ever of thick, loose curls that looked just like her fathers.

“No, I did not kill him.” Calanthe said as she leaned back in her chair with Carena’s head resting on her shoulder. “But perhaps I should have.”

“Why do you say that?” Pavetta asked.

“He is outright obsessed with having me off the throne and a man in my place. Now I’m beginning to question just how far he will go to make that happen.”

“Has he threatened you?” Eist asked.

“No. He is not stupid enough to threaten a sitting monarch.”

“Are you worried he will try to harm you? That is grounds to be arrested, your Majesty.”

Calanthe glanced up at Mousesack. “That’s the trouble, I cannot tell if he is bold enough to try something or not.”

“Then what are you worried for?” Eist asked as he gently put his hand on her knee under the table.

The feeling of Eist’s hand against her did not send a jolt through her as it usually did. This time, it felt comforting, soothing even. Carena rustled against Calanthe slightly, just enough to lean the top of her head gently against Calanthe’s jaw.

“He holds a great deal of influence over the nobility and aristocracy. I have no idea why; he has the charisma of a shoe. He has a great deal of influence though, almost as if he has control over them.”

“What does that have to do with you?” Pavetta asked.

“He could convince them to have me removed from the throne, for a start.”

Eist snorted. “That is not possible, the throne belongs to your family. Besides, they don’t have that kind of power.”

“They hold more power than you realize. The sooner you accept that, the better. There are extended branches of the royal family, other’s that the crown could be passed to. They would end up being controlled by the aristocracy and nobles of course, but what would they care? They would live the life of a King, and that is all that matters to them.”

Eist nodded. “So, the nobility consists of a group of men who hate you because you are a woman, and then hate you even more because you don’t bend to their will.”

Calanthe nodded as she pressed another kiss to the top of Carena’s head.

“It’s simple, my love. We will just do away with all the nobles. We can make new ones and you can choose them yourself.”

Calanthe chuckled. Eist always had a way of making things sound easier and less complicated than what they actually were. “It’s not that simple. Not every nobleman and member of the aristocracy has ill intentions. Some of them are loyal and have Cintra’s best interests in mind. But most of them are out for power and coin and could care less about what happens to Cintra or its citizens in the process. However, it would not look good to the people if I suddenly began chopping off the noblemen’s heads. I worry the people have been manipulated, and while some of them are loyal to the crown, many have turned their loyalty to their overlords. And I will not win back their loyalty with executions.”

“If you arrested the noblemen and executed them, it would cause the remaining noblemen to turn on you, at least the ones who are disloyal. And if they did not turn on you, your citizens would because they have been led to believe in the falsities that they have been fed.”

“It’s a political game, Eist. And one that I do not enjoy playing. I cannot do anything about Hilqvuest, at least not until he slips up and does something foolish to give me tangible proof of his treachery. Now all I have are theories, and when theories without proof are acted upon, revolt often starts. I have worked to temper his worst ideas to keep him in check, but occasionally go along with him only to prevent him from starting an all-out coup.”

“There are wolves at the gate,” Calanthe whispered as Eist took her hand in his under the table, “And they are dangerously close to getting in.”

“Lions and sea hounds are stronger than wolves, my love.” Eist whispered as he squeezed her hand.

\--

Month’s had passed since the incident at court. Hilqvuest was only seen at banquets since his confrontation with Calanthe, and that was done only in an attempt to keep what little peace there was left to keep. It was undeniable that tensions were rising throughout her kingdom though. Anonymous letters began to arrive, which she kept hidden from Eist, containing heavy criticism of her reign and accusing her of things that she was not guilty of. Threats against her started soon after, causing Calanthe to resort to opening and reading the letters in the presence of the courier that delivered them. If a threat was found inside, the courier was questioned at whatever lengths it took to learn who wrote the letters. Each time though, the author of such letters seemed to vanish without a trace, and her soldiers were left to come back empty handed.

Calanthe did what she could to distract herself, but often found her thoughts drifting to her kingdom potentially falling into civil war. There were times when she considered giving it all up, passing the throne to Pavetta and leaving Cintra all together. In the end though, she always came to the same conclusion: Queen’s did not abandon their thrones.

To make matters worse, she often wanted to share her feelings with Eist, but due to the letters being kept from him, she could not. She hated keeping anything from him, and the guilt of doing so fell heavy on her every day. It seemed better this way though, than to share with Eist the accusations and threats. He was never able to bare it when she was in danger, and she knew full well if he learned of the threats, he would whisk her off to Skellige whether she wanted to go or not, and now was not the time to be away from her kingdom.

One of the few distractions that did work was spending time with Carena. She had turned a year old recently, and Eist had presented her with a stack of drawings he had completed for her over Carena’s first year. She cried when she looked through them and marveled that she had something so precious that showed how their daughter had grown.

Carena’s bath time was the best distraction, which always involved a certain amount of splashing and fits of giggles as Calanthe carefully washed her hair.

“My Gods, this little sea hound certainly has your hair.” Calanthe said as she massaged the soap over Carena’s scalp.

“You’re putting her to sleep.” Eist said through a chuckle.

Calanthe glanced up to see Eist walking towards her with a small wooden bucket full of warm water that would be used to rinse Carena’s hair. She leaned around Carena while still gently rubbing Carena’s scalp to see that her eyes were heavy and rolling slightly in the back of her head. Calanthe chuckled and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before she sat back again.

When finished, Carena was dried and put into one of the many soft sleep dresses that had been made for her by Pavetta. Calanthe and Eist took turns tucking her in, and tonight was Calanthe’s turn. Normally, it took story time to lull Carena to sleep, but this night Carena was asleep before Calanthe could pull the covers over her. She had spent the day with her father and Ciri at the harbor, and those days always resulted in an especially tired princess.

Calanthe quietly made her way to the bedchamber to find Eist shirtless, sitting up in bed with his hands behind his head, and his brow furrowed. “You look awfully deep in thought.” Calanthe whispered as she closed their bedchamber door before untying her robe and tossing it on a nearby chair.

“Is she asleep?” Eist asked as she climbed into bed beside him.

“Yes. It did not take long tonight. Our little sea hound was quite tired from her adventure at the harbor.”

Calanthe scooted herself under the covers to press herself against Eist and was pleased to find that his bottom half was as naked as his top. They laid in silence for a little while as the fire crackled. Their hands moved gently over each other’s bodies, Eist’s up and down Calanthe’s back and Calanthe’s up and down Eist’s arms. Lying in Eist’s arms was the only other time when Calanthe’s thoughts and fears melted away.

After a while, dizziness began to creep up. Calanthe blinked as she tried to push the feeling away. Nausea came soon after, which was quickly followed by dull pains in her head. Calanthe took a breath as she felt sweat form on her brow, wondering if she should attempt to get up and head to the privy. She felt hot though, and suddenly she felt like there was hardly any strength in her.

“Are you alright?” Eist asked softly as his hand stilled against her back.

Calanthe used what felt like every ounce of strength she possessed to lift herself off of his chest.

“I feel sick to my stomach and my head is bothering me quite a bit.”

“Did this just start?” Eist asked as he held his hand to her head and moved to sit himself up.

Calanthe sat up as she nodded her head. Everything was becoming bright all of a sudden, almost as if the sun had suddenly appeared in the sky and replaced the moon.

“You have not been around anyone that is sick.” Eist said.

Calanthe blinked heavily as she took a deep breath. The light got even brighter as Eist held a candle close to her.

“I feel dizzy.” Calanthe said as she laid herself back down.

Every feeling she had seemed to intensify, and then she suddenly felt as if she had been training for hours. Her heart was racing, and breathing was becoming difficult. There was no energy left to open her eyes, and when Calanthe tried to speak, she found she was unable too. The only thing on the Continent that Calanthe wanted before she lost consciousness was the feeling of Eist’s arms around her.

\--

When Calanthe woke again, she felt her arm shake as she weakly reached across the bed. All she wanted was to feel Eist with her. Everything hurt and the shaking intensified as Calanthe rolled onto her back. She closed her eyes, praying she would fall asleep and wake when this was over.

Sleep did not come though, and instead Calanthe began to feel more nauseous than she was before. When the gagging started, something inside told her to roll back to her side, but she didn’t have the strength. And then suddenly, everything went black.

\--

Calanthe’s head felt heavy as she slowly opened her eyes. The room was dark and cool, nearly causing Calanthe to close her eyes and fall back to sleep. She turned her head just slightly then to see Eist sitting close to the bedside and holding Carena in his arms. Despite the heaviness that Calanthe felt, she could not help but smile.

“I love you.” Eist whispered softly as he pressed Carena into Calanthe’s arms before falling to his knees at the edge of the bed.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered back, her voice hoarse as Eist pressed a kiss to her lips.

They stayed that way for a while, their heads pressed together with Carena held tightly in Calanthe’s arms. Eist kissed her again before he stood and walked to their mantle to pour her a mule of water. For a moment Eist stared at the glass, and then sniffed it. Calanthe stared at him, wondering what he was doing, and then he took a small sip of the water.

“What happened?” Calanthe asked as Eist crossed the room to her again.

\--

Calanthe knew she should not be surprised, but she was surprised all the same. It was a bold move, to attempt to kill a queen, and it was not an action that Calanthe had thought Hilqvuest was capable of.

She remembered the glass of wine, even remembered the servant who had placed it in front of her. For just a moment Calanthe found it odd that a glass had not been brought for Eist as well but summed it up as being a simple mistake. It was the same woman that had stared at Eist at Carena’s presentation banquet, and it turns out, was the same woman that Eist had encountered at the tavern. The same woman that she had sent a barrel of coin too.

And all of it had been a lie.

It was a lot to take in at once. Her drink had been poisoned. There was a false rumor of an affair between Eist and the servant, who also happened to be an assassin hired to kill her. Calanthe felt like her head was spinning as she tried to process everything and let it all sink in, yet her thoughts only fell on one person; Carena. Calanthe pulled her tighter against her chest as she remembered Carena beginning to cry just as their food was brought up. Hunger had been panging Calanthe, but she still fed Carena before she ate, nonetheless. And all the while the glass of wine had been sitting there in front of her. What if she had picked it up, even just to take a sip?

“That bastard.” Calanthe said when Eist finished. “That stupid fucking bastard.”

“What if I had fed her?” Calanthe stammered out before succumbing to tears.

Carena would be dead, and Calanthe knew it.

“I know.” Eist whispered as he leaned in to press soft kisses to her face. “I know. But she is safe, my love.”

Calanthe pulled back and nodded. “Has he been arrested?”

“Not yet.”

“Not yet?” Calanthe asked as shock ran through her. “Eist, he must be arrested. I would have thought you would have killed him yourself already.”

“Believe me, I would love nothing more than to rip him apart, limb by limb.” Eist said. “But I have another idea.”

\--

“I believe the student has become the master.” Calanthe said as she rocked Carena in her arms while Eist smiled. “I like your plan; I just hope it does not backfire.”

“If you think it is too much of a risk, we don’t have to do it.”

“No, I like the idea of playing him at his own game.” Calanthe said as she smiled down at Carena. “It will make him suffer all the more.”

\--

It was late in the afternoon the following day when Calanthe woke in Eist’s arms with his hand gliding up and down her back. When they both finally rose from bed, Eist washed Calanthe’s hair before they relaxed in the tub. Next came Carena’s bath, which brought some much-needed happiness as she splashed around playfully in her little tub.

Their mid-day meal was served in their chambers, and they were joined by Pavetta, Ciri, Duny, and Mousesack.

“Why are they eating the food, Mama?” Ciri ask Pavetta quietly.

“They are making sure it tastes okay, that’s all.” Pavetta said quietly.

Eist had insisted that taste testers be put into place. The idea made Calanthe’s stomach churn, but in the end she agreed. For all they knew, there were more people employed in the palace with ill intentions, and Calanthe may not be their only target.

Vissegerd arrived near the end of their meal and looked as though he would collapse with relief when he saw his Queen.

“Your Majesty,” Vissegerd said as he took to his knee “I am relieved to see that you are well again.”

“As am I.” Calanthe said lightly as she motioned for him to rise. “Have you found him?”

“Yes, your Majesty. He is at his home on the Cintran coast as the King predicted. We waited for a full day, and he has not left his home once. I still have a few scouts stationed there in case he attempts to leave, but there are no signs of that as of yet.”

“Good.” Calanthe said as she turned to Eist.

“There is more though, your Majesty.” Vissegerd said as Calanthe turned back to him with her brow raised.

“He has a large band of men with him. They appear to be hired thugs. Thirty were counted, but there could be many more inside. They are heavily armored, but their weapons looked crude.”

“Well, that will certainly make things more interesting.” Eist said. “If he wants a fight, then that is what he will get.”

\--

“If I were a man, none of this would have happened.” Calanthe whispered.

At first, they had spent the night discussing battle tactics and attempting to decide how many soldiers would be needed to arrest Hilqvuest. Eist had insisted on taking five men for every one of Hilqvuest’s, while Calanthe argued that that was excessive. She was all for being prepared and having a larger force than her opponent, but what Eist wanted seemed to go a bit too far, even for her. Calanthe was still making her point when Eist gently took her face in his hands. She rolled her eyes at him and continued to argue, but instead of pulling away, Eist pressed a kiss to her lips. That was all it took for Calanthe to take him by the hand and drag him into their bedchamber. First, she pushed him onto his back, pulled off his pants, and then took him into her mouth until he was screaming her name. They finished in other ways and were now lying in bed, both beaded with sweat.

“Well I am very much glad that you were not born a man.” Eist whispered back.

Calanthe swatted at his chest then, causing Eist to chuckle as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I guess we will continue deciding just how many soldiers we need in the morning.” Calanthe said through a yawn.

“We will take whatever you feel is right, my love.” Eist whispered lazily as Calanthe nuzzled against his jaw.

“Whatever I feel is right?” Calanthe asked as she pressed a kiss on top of his beard. “You certainly have changed your tune.”

“That very beautiful and exceptionally talented mouth of yours has convinced me otherwise.”

Calanthe poked Eist in the ribs, causing him to squirm.

“I love you.” Calanthe whispered as she settled against Eist again.

“I love you too.” Eist whispered back.

Calanthe pressed a few more kisses into Eist’s jaw, and for a moment his beard tickled the tip of her nose as she did so. She could feel him relax beneath her, and soon the steady sound of his breathing told her he was asleep. Calanthe followed him soon after, lulled to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat.


	37. Chapter 19A - Eist

**Chapter 19A - Eist**

**Year 1257**

Even though Calanthe had convinced Eist that taking one hundred and fifty soldiers to arrest Hilqvuest was far too many, Eist put his foot down at the prospect of taking less than fifty. And after Eist used his own persuasions, she finally relented. The next disagreement came when Eist overheard Calanthe telling the armorer that she would only be in need of her breast plate in pauldrons, insisting that the rest would not be needed.

“You have got to be kidding me? You are going to go into battle with half your armor? What if someone takes a swipe at your legs?” Eist said as he followed Calanthe up the winding stairs towards their chambers.

“We are going to arrest him. I hardly think there will be a battle, Eist.” Calanthe huffed.

“Vissegerd reported a minimum of thirty men. He does not have that many bandits under his employment for nothing, and I doubt that they will all willingly surrender.”

Even though Eist could not see Calanthe’s eyes as she continued to trail ahead of him, he sensed they were rolling just the same.

“You worry too much, it will be fine.”

\--

The following day Eist and Calanthe woke early to prepare for Hilqvuest’s arrest. While Calanthe took the sword that Eist had given to her as part of her birthing gifts and Eist’s own sword to the armory to be sharpened, Eist met with Vissegerd to ensure that scouts were still surrounding Hilqvuest’s summer residence at a distance. Afterward they both met in the training yard, and Calanthe seemed as giddy as a child on the morning of her birthday when Eist agreed to dual her with steel blades.

Each of them held an advantage over each other that made sparring rather interesting. While Eist’s strikes were heavy and powerful, Calanthe was fast, her strikes like a snake lashing at its target. That speed often resulted with Eist ending knocked onto the ground. What did not help was that while Eist was fighting hard and true, he still struggled with swinging a sword at his wife and found himself either pulling back on his strikes or deliberately missing hitting her altogether.

A few hours into dueling, Pavetta came downstairs holding Carena, who clapped wildly and bounced in Pavetta’s arms as her parents swung their swords. For a moment Eist became distracted when he saw Carena, and Calanthe promptly took the chance to knock Eist on his behind again, causing a burst of laughter from Carena.

“You think that’s funny, do you?” Eist said playfully as Calanthe helped him stand.

In a few swift steps, Eist crossed the courtyard and gently took Carena from Pavetta’s arms before tossing her lightly into the air and catching her in a fit of giggles.

“I’ll never understand it.” Pavetta said. “She does not seem to mind any of this at all. You would think a child would be terrified of swords.”

“It depends on the child.” Calanthe said gently when Eist carefully pressed Carena into her mother’s arms. “You could not stand to be around them, but Ciri always liked to be.”

“Yes, and I’m sure she would rather be here now. She is getting to be a handful for Mousesack.” Pavetta said as she shook her head lightly.

Just as Calanthe opened her mouth to respond, the sound of dozens of horses trotting towards the palace could be heard in the distance.

Eist smirked as Calanthe asked “What is all that commotion for?”

When Eist wrote to Crach, he had done so without speaking to Calanthe first. He was worried that Crach would not make it on time and did not want her to depend on Crach being with them for Hilqvuest’s arrest. Eist used the speediest courier he could find, but there was always a chance that the letter would not be received.

Carena began to fuss then when Eist turned back around to face Calanthe. “Down! Down!”

“All right.” Calanthe said softly.

Eist smiled when Carena first wrapped her arms around Calanthe’s leg to steady herself before walking to him on wobbly legs with her arms held out to balance her.

“You are getting to be such a big girl.” Eist said when Carena reached him. “Now, do you want to go see Uncle Crach?”

“Crach?” Calanthe asked.

“Yes, that’s who has arrived.” Eist said as he motioned his head towards where the commotion was coming from.

“How do you know that?”

“I invited him.” Eist said as Calanthe raised her brow. “He is going to help us with Hilqvuest’s arrest.”

Just then, the doors to the training yard from the palace burst open.

“Uncle! I was told you were out here!” Crach said as he walked briskly towards Eist.

When he saw Calanthe, he bowed deeply. “Modron, I heard what happened. Are you well?”

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said as she shook her head lightly. “You worry nearly as much as Eist.”

“Of course I do.” Crach said as he greeted Pavetta before facing Carena, who was now clutching Eist’s leg, and bent down on his knees. “There is the little sea hound!”

“Do you want to go give Uncle Crach a hug?” Eist asked as Crach held out his big, burly arms.

Carena giggled at first before sprinting over to Crach, only to fall on her behind half-way there. Eist chuckled as she quickly stood, never being one to give up easily, and sprinted the rest of the way to him.

\--

After Crach spent a good while chasing a giggling Carena around the training yard, the group went to the private banquet hall after sending for Mousesack, Vissegerd, Duny, Danek, and Lazlo. Eist quickly drew a rough map of the area where Hilqvuest’s summer home for reference. After the group sat, Calanthe handed Carena to Eist, who had fallen fast asleep in her mother’s arms. Eist smirked when he took her as she nestled herself down into his arms before falling back asleep.

“Alright, so what exactly is the goal here?” Crach asked. “Are we attempting to capture him, or can we just kill him and be done with it?”

Eist glanced over at Calanthe. While he wanted Hilqvuest to be dead and gone, this decision was Calanthe’s to make.

“I’d like to capture him. He needs to stand trial. If he does not, the other nobles will surely go into outright rebellion. However, if he draws swords on us and does not come peacefully, then we will defend ourselves however we see fit.”

Eist glanced around to see that no one was happy with this response, and he knew why. They all wanted Hilqvuest gone, but there were lines that Calanthe was not willing to cross. And while Eist did not agree with the decision, he trusted his wife.

“We will come up from the south. If we take this road, there is a steep hill just here.” Calanthe said as she pointed at the map. “That will give us the advantage of catching them off guard in case they attack on sight.” Calanthe paused for a moment before asking “Was the letter announcing my death sent to him?”

“It was, your Majesty.” Mousesack said.

“And you told him I was poisoned as we discussed?”

“Of course.”

“Did he give a reply?”

“He did, and it was not exactly tasteful, your Majesty.”

Eist glanced up at Mousesack, who was still looking at Calanthe, and could see the hesitation on his face. “Go on.” Eist said.

Mousesack sighed as he pulled the letter from his pocket. After glancing it over, Mousesack read aloud, “Lord Hilqvuest has formally inquired as to who is ruling Cintra now that the Queen is dead. He proposes that if the Skelligan is to continue in his role as king, that he should wed the Princess Pavetta immediately and Prince Duny be stripped of his title and his marriage to the princess. He also suggested that the Princess Cirilla could be married to the king if he does not prefer Princess Pavetta since she is unwed and is not his granddaughter by blood. It is ill advised that the king abdicate in favor of Prince Duny and Princess Pavetta due to the princes’ lack of popularity with the nobility. If the king chooses to abdicate and not wed his stepdaughter or step-granddaughter, then he suggests that the king decree that the throne be passed immediately to Princess Cirilla or Princess Carena to rule in his stead. From there a viable marriage would be arranged for the new queen to ensure that a king sits on the Cintran throne.”

“I did not realize I was so unpopular.” Duny said, almost sounding amused. “And did he really just suggest that you wed my wife or my daughter?” Duny asked aloud as he looked over at Eist.

“He did.” Eist growled, disgusted at the idea of marrying Pavetta, who he viewed as his own daughter, or Ciri, who had been considered his granddaughter since before she was born. And then there was Carena, left to potentially be married and used for nothing more than to bare children. “Did he offer his condolences on the Queen’s passing?”

Eist was not sure why, but he needed to know if Hilqvuest at least offered the courtesy of pretending to be mournful at the loss of his Queen.

“He did not, nor did he bother pretending to be surprised at the sudden announcement of the Queen’s death.”

Eist could feel himself shaking as he said, “I’m going to kill him.”

The room stayed silent for a moment before Crach said, “This Hilqvuest really is a scheming little fucker, isn’t he?”

“That’s one way to put it.” Mousesack said as he folded the letter before handing it to Calanthe.

“Danek,” Calanthe said as she cleared her throat. “You will not be with us tomorrow. And neither will you, Lazlo.” Calanthe said as she glanced at him.

“Your Majesty?” Danek asked.

“As of now, you are Princess Pavetta’s personal royal guard. And you, Lazlo, are Princess Cirilla’s. When Princess Carena is with Pavetta, you will be responsible for her as well, Danek.”

“That is a great honor, your Majesty.” Danek said as he and Lazlo bowed.

“It is. I am trusting you with the lives of my daughters and granddaughter. Keep them safe, or you will answer to me.”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Lazlo said.

“From now on, you will occupancy them at all times. If Pavetta wants to so much as go to the market, you will be with her Danek. If Cirilla wishes to go to the harbor and she is not with her Grandfather, then you will be with her Lazlo.”

Both men nodded.

“And me, your Majesty?”

“That should go without saying, Vissegerd. You have always been my guard, and always will be.”

“Tomorrow, Carena will be with Pavetta.” Calanthe said as she looked back to Danek and Lazlo.

“If anything happens and something goes wrong,” Calanthe said as she turned back to Mousesack, “Get them to Skellige immediately. There will be a drakkar on standby with Cintran soldiers at the harbor.”

Mousesack nodded while Eist took a breath. While Calanthe was confident, sometimes too confident, she was also caution, and never went into battle willingly without a plan in place.

“Do you want me with you, or Pavetta?” Duny asked.

Eist looked back at Calanthe to see her brow furrowed. On one hand, Duny was a skilled fighter and it would be good to have him with her. On the other hand, Duny was the future king of Cintra, and if things did not go to plan tomorrow, Pavetta could very well end up a queen without a king and be in the same position Calanthe was in before she married Eist.

“As much as I would like you with us, I will have you stay here.”

Duny sighed lightly, clearly disappointed.

“Don’t worry.” Eist said reassuringly. “One day you will get to have all the fun.”

“Do you really think something will go that terribly wrong? You are talking as if you are all going to be slaughtered tomorrow. You have been preparing for days…”

“One cannot ever be fully prepared for battle.” Calanthe said lowly. “And something can always go wrong.

\--

That night Eist and Calanthe ate dinner in private inside their chambers with only Carena as their company. Calanthe often became quite before she went to battle, and tonight was no different. She was currently staring out of the window blankly, seemingly lost in her thoughts as Eist bounced Carena on his knee.

“Well, at least the idiot did not suggest that I marry my own daughter.” Eist said.

“I can only imagine what he would do to Carena if he got his hands on her.” Calanthe said through a sigh as she continued to stare before snapping her eyes to Eist.

“What’s wrong?” Eist asked as Calanthe scrambled through a pocket in her dress.

“He mentioned Carena and Ciri in his letter.”

“What are you thinking he meant by it?” Eist asked as Carena grabbed his face in her hands.

For a moment, the severity of the subject at hand escaped Eist as Carena patted his cheeks lightly before gently tugging at the short hairs of his beard. Eist smiled as he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, prompting a giggle. When Eist glanced back up at Calanthe, he could see her eyes darting rapidly back and forth over the letter.

“If something were to happen to me…”

“Don’t.” Eist said, stopping her. He had had to face thoughts of losing Calanthe too many times before, and he would not do so again. Those thoughts were downright unbearable. “Nothing will happen to you.”

“But if something did, what would you do?”

“Gods, I don’t know.” Eist said as he shrugged. “Life would be too unbearable to do anything.”

“Would you still want to be King?”

“No, I bloody well would not. I don’t want it now. You know I did not marry you for your crown.”

“Exactly.” Calanthe said as she set the letter down. “Don’t you see? Hilqvuest knows that, and he knows you would abdicate, and knows you would refuse to wed Pavetta or Ciri.”

“Alright, so if I abdicate, the throne goes to Pavetta either way.”

“Hilqvuest may be a lot of things, but he is right about Duny. The nobles have not grown to accept him, not even after all this time. And he also knows that you would not put the Cintran throne at risk by leaving it to a king who could be easily overthrown.”

“So, I abdicate in favor of Ciri…”

“…or Carena.”

“Or Carena,” Eist repeated, “Either way it is still your blood on the throne.” Eist froze for a moment, stopping his leg that had been bouncing Carena. “Regardless of if it’s Ciri or Carena who succeed you, they would need a husband eventually.”

“Yes, they would.” Calanthe said. “They would be expected to produce heirs and hand their authority over to their husbands, just as I was.” Eist swallowed as Calanthe began to pace the room. “It would not take long, I suspect, before Hilqvuest suggests that he has Cintra’s best interests at heart. And with that notion, it would be easy for him to convince the other noblemen that there would be no better man to be king…”

“Then himself.” Eist whispered.

A sick feeling ran through Eist then. This far surpassed hatred for Calanthe and the concept of a woman being in power. This was all a power grab, an attempt at an outright coup to steal her throne. Hilqvuest never had any intent on replacing Calanthe with her daughters, granddaughter, or even a cousin. He wanted to replace her with himself.

\--

After putting Carena into bed, Eist and Calanthe climbed into the tub that night. After washing Calanthe’s hair, Eist leaned back in the tub while Calanthe leaned back against his chest with his arms wrapped around her. The tension in her was undeniable and her body was rigid against his. For a moment Eist rubbed up and down her arms, but soon simply wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back tight against him while he rested his head on her shoulder.

“Everything will be alright.” Eist said softly before pressing a kiss to her ear.

Calanthe only nodded in response.

“It will be. I promise.” Eist said. “And by the Gods if it is not, he will not be able to touch them in Skellige. Bran will protect them with his life.”

“Yes.” Calanthe said as her voice cracked. “And Cintra will fall into the hands of a power-hungry mad man.”

Eist sighed as he pressed his forehead to Calanthe’s shoulder. “Well, it is simple then. We will not fail tomorrow. There is no other option.”

Eist smiled softly as Calanthe chuckled.

“You always make everything sound so simple.” Calanthe said. “But I am beginning to think you were right about the number of soldiers that we need.”

Eist only smirked as he leaned his head back against the tub.

\--

Sleep was hard for Eist to find when they slipped into bed. Calanthe, despite her worry, had fallen asleep soon after Eist finished inside of her. They were quick that night, their thrusts fast, hard, and urgent. Now as Eist gently ran his fingertips up and down her spine, Eist found himself worrying more than he had been before. There had been so many times over the years that Eist almost lost Calanthe, and each time the thought of it alone was impossible to bear. He knew he should not think so, but he could not imagine living without her. What would life be to wake up in the morning without Calanthe pressed against him? Would food even be worth eating if she was not enjoying it alongside him? Reading would lose its magic if Calanthe were not with him to hear the story. He had drawn so much for Calanthe over the years that he was sure he would not be able to draw again without thinking of her. Eist sighed as he pressed a gentle kiss to her temple.

Eist know the love he and Calanthe shared was a blessing, but it was also a curse. Eist Tuirseach, the man who had once held such a disdain for marriage, was so completely in love with his wife that he would not be able to be without her.

\--

Battles were often fought at the crack of dawn, so Eist and Calanthe had deliberately decided to wait until later in the day to make their approach on Hilqvuest to catch him off guard. That did not stop Eist from waking early though, just as the first few rays of morning light streamed through their open window covers. He was not sure when he fell asleep, but he had a feeling it was not too long ago. As Eist yawned, Calanthe began to stir against him.

“Hmm.” Calanthe hummed softly as she kissed his chest. “Tell me it’s not time to get up just yet.”

“It’s dawn.” Eist said softly as he looked down to see her snuggle tight against his chest with closed eyes.

“Good. That means we can stay in bed a little while longer.” Calanthe said.

Eist smirked as he closed his eyes, and this time drifted quickly off to sleep.

\--

Despite Calanthe’s wishes, Eist had spoken to the armorer to have Calanthe’s full set of armor prepared. After they ate a light breakfast and fed Carena, their armor was brought to their chambers, also at Eist’s request so they could dress there. Calanthe eyed her armor when it was set out for her, but did not say a word about it, not at least until the soldiers that brought it were gone.

They helped each other dress in stages, and when Eist pulled the cuisse and greave over Calanthe’s left leg, she only mildly protested.

“Remember when I said that I was only wearing my breastplate and pauldrons?” Calanthe said as she pressed her hand against Eist’s shoulder for support.

“Please,” Eist said. “Wear your full armor.” Eist glanced up then to see Calanthe staring down at him, but he could not quite place the look in her eyes. “Wear it for me.”

Calanthe sighed as her took her hand from Eist’s shoulder and rested it against his jaw. “Will it give you peace of mind?”

“It will.” Eist whispered back as he gently took her hand from his cheek to press it to his lips.

“Fine.” Calanthe said. Although she rolled her eyes, Eist knew full well that she was not truly annoyed.

The last piece of armor that Eist placed on Calanthe was her helm. He was gentle when pulling it over her head and used the tip of his finger to brush back a few wisps of hair that had fallen from the braid that was twisted and pinned at the nape of her neck.

“Where is your helm?” Calanthe asked as she glanced around the sitting room.

“You know I don’t like wearing it. The bloody thing makes it awfully difficult to see.”

Eist noted how heavily Calanthe sighed. “Then we should have a new one made for you. I don’t like that you are not wearing one.”

“I’ll be fine.” Eist whispered as he took her face in her hands.

He slipped his fingers under the metal of her helm that curved around to protect the sides of her face. For just a moment, Calanthe closed her eyes and leaned her head into his touch. It did not take long for her eyes to open again though, and he could see that she was not entirely convinced at his insistence that he would be fine.

“Alright.” Eist said softly as he bent down, angling his head slightly to avoid pressing his forehead into the small brim of her helm, and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’ll have a new one made when this is over. Okay?”

Calanthe nodded in response before she sighed softly and turned to pick up Eist’s belt with his sword and dagger and strapped it to his waist.

\--

No matter how little or great the time was to spend away from Carena, it was never easy to say goodbye to her. To make matters worse, she had grown enough to have an understanding of when someone was saying goodbye to her, and she did not cope well with it. Calanthe held Carena before Eist and was first fascinated by her mother’s armor, particularly the lion paws on her pauldrons. Carena patted her little hand against them and giggled, but her face dropped after Calanthe pressed kisses on her daughters’ cheeks before handing her to Eist.

“Mama!” Carena screamed when she was placed in Eist’s arms.

Carena began to reach for Calanthe then, and it broke Eist’s heart as he held her.

“I love you, my little sea hound.” Eist whispered.

Carena turned her eyes to Eist then and began to tear up as she looked frantically back and forth between her father and mother.

“It’s alright.” Calanthe said softly as she stepped towards Eist and pressed more kisses onto Carena’s cheeks.

As she did so, their chamber door opened as Pavetta walked inside. The plan had been laid out to Pavetta, and she was well aware of what to do if they lost.

“Come now, Mother.” Pavetta said as Calanthe stepped back from Carena to hug Pavetta. “You talk as if you won’t win.”

Eist smirked. Calanthe had not lost a battle since she was thirteen years old, and he knew damn well that she would not start today.

“Oh, I will win.” Calanthe said with humor tinting her voice, “But it is wise to have arraignments in place.”

“Mother, you’ll come back.” Pavetta said firmly as she looked at Calanthe. “I need you. I need both of you.”

Eist smiled as Pavetta’s eyes flicked to him. He had tried in his own way to not replace Pavetta’s father, but to be there for her all the same. And sure enough over the years, Eist and Pavetta had developed a close relationship, and it was one that Eist deeply valued.

“Yes. We will.” Eist said as he looked at Calanthe before pressing a kiss to Carena’s head and handing her to Pavetta. “Now you be good for your sister until we return.”

Eist swallowed as he and Calanthe made their way down the hall while Carena screamed for them from Pavetta’s arms.

\--

A scout had arrived in the courtyard at the palace before Eist and Calanthe made it to the courtyard themselves.

“We should be expecting to encounter at least fifty men, mercenaries no doubt.” Vissegerd said as he stood by Eist and Calanthe’s horses who had already been taken out of their stables. Before Eist could ask, Vissegerd said, “There are twenty knights and eighty soldiers waiting just outside the castle walls to accompany us.”

Danek and Lazlo walked up then, dressed fully in their armor. “Do not forget, the ship is just off the coast.” Calanthe said as she looked at Danek. “Head to Pavetta’s chambers. She has Carena, and Mousesack is with them. Do not leave their side until we return.”

Danek bowed, “Do not fear, your Majesty. I am sure you will make quick work and be back in no time.”

\--

The journey to Hilqvuest’s residence was short, only lasting about thirty minutes. While the sun was bright in the sky, the weather was thankfully cool. Eist and Calanthe rode ahead with Vissegerd on horseback close behind them, followed by the knights on horseback, and the soldiers on foot.

Upon their arrival, Eist dismounted first and quickly walked to Calanthe’s side and offered her his hand before she dismounted as well. It was a simple gesture, and while Calanthe in no way needed his help, that did not mean he would not offer it just the same. Once Calanthe’s feet touched the ground, Eist glanced around to see the mercenaries looking between themselves with a look of utter confusion on their faces. They no doubt had been told the Queen was dead. A man closest to the door leaned towards another man, whispered something in his ear, and then quickly went inside.

“What’s wrong, gentleman?” Calanthe asked as she walked closer to them with Eist by her side. “You all look as though you have seen a ghost.”

“Your Majesty…” The man closest to Calanthe stammered, “We were told you were dead.”

“Were you?” Calanthe asked.

Eist smirked. The tone in Calanthe’s voice was full of sarcasm and humor. She seemed to be quite enjoying herself as she toyed with the soldiers.

“That is rather interesting. I do not remember dying. Darling,” Calanthe said as she turned to Eist, “Did I pass away and was not made aware of it?”

“No, you did not my Queen.” Eist said through a smirk as he stifled a laugh.

Calanthe nodded as she turned back to the man. “So, what business do you all have here?”

“That is not your concern.”

Eist glanced up to see the man that had disappeared into Hilqvuest’s house moments ago had slipped a breastplate on and was walking towards them, carrying a sword in his hand.

“You are on Cintran land. Everything that happens here is my concern.”

The man smirked, but did not stop walking, and was quickly approaching Calanthe with his sword in his grasp. While Calanthe noticeably did not even flinch, Eist drew his sword and pointed it at the man.

“That’s close enough.” Eist said firmly.

“Your Majesty, do you really think I am going to walk up to the Queen and take a swing at her?” The man said as he stopped several feet from Eist and Calanthe.

“Who are you?” Eist asked as he lowered his sword to his side.

“Aidran.” The man said.

“And what is your purpose here?”

“I serve Lord Hilqvuest.” Aidran said before he turned to Calanthe. “We received word that you were dead.”

“Yes, and you see somewhat disappointed that I am very much alive.”

Aidran chuckled as he rolled his shoulders, his left just slightly higher than the right. At first glance, it would appear that he was only stretching, but Eist was well aware of physical alerts that were used on the battlefield. Eist glanced up just as a man with a bow stood on the rafters at the top of the house and took aim for Calanthe. Within a heartbeat Eist turned and pushed Calanthe to the ground and curled himself over her as best he could. For a moment his eyes closed as he heard Vissegerd command the men to charge. When his eyes opened, the arrow that was shot was sticking out of the ground and would have certainly hit Calanthe had she still been standing.

“Eist.” Calanthe said. Her voice was soft even as she was crushed under the weight of him and his armor. “I’m all right.”

Eist blinked and got to his feet before he helped her back up. When they were both standing, Eist looked to see the scene around them had exploded into chaos. Aidran had just put his sword through a Cintran soldiers’ neck when Eist grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him to the ground. He was dead in a moment. When Eist lifted his head, the archer struck Calanthe this time.

The arrow hit her square in the chest, but her armor was too strong for the arrow to pierce it. For a moment Eist’s vision blurred, only to refocus when he could see that Calanthe was not only uninjured, but still fighting.

A chuckle rolled out of Eist. Calanthe was indeed fine. Within a moment, the archer was dead, killed by an arrow from Crach.

When the scene was over, ten Cintran soldiers and one knight laid dead on the grass.

“Why don’t you wait outside?” Eist asked as Calanthe turned towards the house.

“And miss all the fun?” Calanthe asked. “I think not.”

Eist grabbed Calanthes arm as she began to walk away. “We don’t know what awaits us in there. Let me clear it…”

“No.” Calanthe said firmly.

“You are so stubborn.” Eist grumbled as he motioned for Vissegerd and several knights to follow them.

“If I remember correctly, you enjoy that I like fighting so much.”

“That is true, however I would rather you not walk into a house and have men spring out at you.”

“It will be fine.” Calanthe said as she reached the door and opened it.

Hilqvuest’s summer home was large and just as luxurious on the inside as the outside had been. The enter way opened into a large hall with a massive staircase leading upstairs at the far end of the hall. Door after door lined both sides of the hall leading to various rooms. Just as Calanthe stepped foot inside, Eist was close behind her, practically pushing Calanthe further into the entryway just so he could be beside her.

Two men were waiting at the top of the stairs, which were dispatched quickly. The third and final mercenary was at the very end of the hall, guarding the room that was behind him. It took Eist a single swing of his sword to kill him.

Eist was right behind Calanthe when they entered the room at the end of the hall to find Lord Hilqvuest inside, huddled over a fire that he was tossing various books and pieces of loose parchment into. When he looked up at Calanthe, he was the same color his hired mercenaries had turned when they first saw Calanthe themselves.

“I had received word that you were dead.”

“Yes, you did.” Calanthe said slowly as she removed her helm and set it on a nearby table. “Did you truly think that we would not discover what you have done and what your true intentions are?”

Hilqvuest chuckled as he tossed another leather-bound book into the flames while Calanthe took a few more steps towards him, still followed closely by Eist. “I was beginning to suspect that you would not.”

Calanthe nodded. “Your men tried to kill me. This was meant to be a peaceful arrest.”

“Peaceful arrest?” Hilqvuest chuckled. “Then why the armor, Lioness of Cintra?”

“I would wear my armor instead of a gown any day.”

Eist could see over Calanthe’s shoulder that Hilqvuest was twirling a dagger in his hand.

“Put it down.” Eist warned.

“Calm down, sea puppy. Tell me, do you live your entire life wallowing at this woman’s side?”

Just as Eist was about to respond, Calanthe drew her dagger from its sheath in a flash, and in another moment, she threw it to land just to the side of Hilqvuest’s head where it stuck straight out of the wall, causing Hilqvuest to jump.

“Do not speak to your king that way.” Calanthe warned.

“I believe you are threatening me, your Majesty.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes. “No, Lord Hilqvuest, I am not threatening you. You see, a threat would imply that there is only the possibility of harm coming to you, but we are far past that now.”

Eist turned to glance at the fire then and noticed that it was full of parchment scrawled with writing along with several leather-bound books that were quickly going up in flames. He reached in quickly, grabbing the side of one of the books and yanking it out onto the stone floor just as it began to catch fire. After stepping on it repeatedly, Eist glanced up to see Hilqvuest looking furious. After seeing his expression, Eist pulled out everything else he could from the fire.

“What is wrong, my esteemed Lord?” Calanthe asked. “You look rather upset.”

“Do you make it a habit of rummaging through peoples fires?”

“No.” Eist mused as he stamped out the remaining fire on the corner of a piece of parchment before picking up the first book he pulled out of the fire. “But most men are not stupid enough to send an assassin after my wife.”

Eist’s vision began to go in and out of focus as he flipped through the book in his hands, which was turned out to be a journal. He could hear Calanthe and Hilqvuest exchanging words, but for the life of him he could not process them. Instead, the words he was reading were proving to be difficult enough to deal with.

_I have found two Cintran’s and a doppler that has found its way from Novigrad that is need of some coin. I also came across a rogue wizard from Brotherhood of Sorcerers that, after a little persuasion, was made to believe that the death of Queen Calanthe would be good for the kingdom, although a little coin helped cement my argument as well. It is amazing how far people will go for coin._

Eist flipped through more pages of the journal, ending with the last entry, before he glanced up to see Calanthe turn from Hilqvuest to face him.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked.

“It was you all along?” Eist said softly.

Eist stepped forward then, only vaguely aware of the confused look on Calanthe’s face as he walked around her and took several steps towards Hilqvuest.

“You were the one who sent the hydra all those years ago. You arranged for the storm that caused the Queen’s ship to crash. You sent the assassin on Skellige, and the one in Cintra. All these years, and all of it was you.”

“What?” Calanthe asked.

Hilqvuest did not look surprised, it was his journal Eist had read after all. Instead his expression was blank, making it impossible to read. Eist took his eyes off of Hilqvuest, but only for a moment to hand the journal to Calanthe before turning back.

Eist tried to find the words to say, but he couldn’t. All along, it had been Hilqvuest, who was right under their noses from the start. His hand was around Hilqvuest’s throat before he realized what he was doing. Eist could vaguely hear the sound of her footsteps over his heartbeat pounding in his ear as she walked up behind him.

“Eist,” Calanthe said. “Don’t kill him, not yet.”

It took Calanthe’s hand to rest on Eist’s gauntlet covered arm for him to stop.

“Good puppy.” Hilqvuest said through a cough as he gasped for breath.

And with that, Calanthe slapped Hilqvuest so hard that he was unconscious before he hit the floor.

\--

Hilqvuest’s trial was held the following day with mandatory attendance orders issued to every nobleman in Cintra. The journal Eist found was read aloud, as were several letters that were found as Hilqvuest’s house was searched. The handwriting on the letter sent to Elin was easily matched to Hilqvuest’s, proving that Hilqvuest was indeed the person who sent her. After her confession, Elin was executed, followed quickly by Hilqvuest after he was found unanimously guilty by his peers.

“It feels strange.” Calanthe said as they walked together to their chambers from the courtyard. “I still can’t quite believe it.”

“Believe what?” Eist asked as he took her hand when they rounded a corner.

“It’s over. And all along it had been one man. One man caused all of this.”

“And may he be a lesson to them all.”

\--

“I have an idea.” Eist whispered that night just before pressing a kiss to Calanthe’s temple as she curled herself against him.

“I hope that it involves using a looking glass again.” Calanthe whispered.

Eist chuckled as Calanthe’s hand slowly traced from his forearm, to his shoulder, and down again. The idea had struck him quite suddenly, causing him to pull out of Calanthe before he crossed the room and grabbed a looking glass that leaned on a small table against the wall. Eist had always wished he could see how Calanthe looked when he took her from behind. When he returned, she looked as though she was ready to kill him.

“If you don’t get back inside of me soon...” Calanthe groaned as Eist propped the looking glass in front of her, leaning it against the headboard. “What on the Continent are you doing?”

Eist smirked just before he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s shoulder before climbing on the bed behind her again. “You’ll see, my Queen.” Eist whispered as he put his hands on her hips and pressed himself against her without entering to check his view. “Angle it to the left, just a little.”

Calanthe huffed loud enough for Eist to hear but did what he asked her to do anyway.

“There.” Eist said through a groan.

It was the perfect angle, allowing him to see Calanthe’s face and upper body. When he pushed himself inside, he watched as Calanthe closed her eyes while she let out a gasp. As Eist thrusted harder, Calanthe’s mouth began to open steadily wider as she furrowed her brow. Soon she laid herself on the bed with only her buttocks in the air, just as she always did when she was close. Eist’s fingers steadily grazed over her clit with light fingers as he whispered, “Open your eyes.”

Eist smirked as Calanthe’s eyes went wide. She watched him thrust in and out of her while his hand disappeared between her thighs. She looked almost addicted as she raised herself on her hands again while she stared, unblinking.

“Oh Gods.” Calanthe gasped when Eist sped up his ministrations on her clit.

“Come for me.” Eist whispered.

That was all it took for Calanthe to collapse against the bed again as she screamed his name. Eist was not sure how, but he was able to hold off his own impending orgasm as Calanthe came down from her first. Her second followed moments after, causing her to scream again as she writhed on the bed while she squirted. He came with her on her third, and by the end of it they were both covered with sweat and Eist was convinced that the whole palace was now aware of their activities.

“We can use the looking glass as often as you wish.” Eist said through a soft laugh as he pressed another kiss to Calanthe’s temple just as she let out a yawn.

“Well tell me this idea of yours, but you’ll have to make it quick. You’ve worn me out.” Calanthe whispered.

The feeling of Calanthe settling against Eist, feeling as though she was melting into him, was enough to make Eist want to fall asleep himself. He pressed his hand against her lower back before gliding it up her spine, all to rest gently against the back of her head.

“It seems the nobleman are on your side now.”

“Yes, I believe they are.” Calanthe whispered back. “And those who are not are too afraid to say otherwise.”

“Why don’t you make a decree then, with the support of your noblemen.”

“And what do you suggest that I decree, my dear husband?” Calanthe asked lazily.

“That henceforth, men will not be favored in the line of succession for the Cintran throne. Instead, the eldest child, male or female, will be the next ruler of Cintra.”

The idea was enough to pull Calanthe from her sleepy state as she propped herself on her elbow. Eist turned his head slightly to face her to see that she was thinking hard on the idea, and soon began to smirk.

“Do you really think they would agree?”

“I do.” Eist whispered as his hand glided down her back again. “And I believe that you may not get a chance like this again. Right now, they are rallying around you, but we both no circumstances can change.”

“Yes, they certainly can.” Calanthe said. “That means that when the time comes, Pavetta will reign…”

“And Duny would be the Prince Consort, as would Ciri’s future husband.”

Calanthe smirked slightly again. “It seems you would be the last King of Cintra for a while.”

“I would.” Eist said as he smiled. “If I have learned anything in all my years with you, it’s that Cintra does rather well with a Queen at its helm.”

Calanthe laughed. “There has been a king at my side too.”

“In title only.” Eist whispered as Calanthe pressed herself against him again. “Everyone knows that you hold the power, and I rather like it that way. Besides, if it is decided that a woman can rule within her own right and not be superseded by her husband, it may just prevent something like this from happening again.”

When Eist glanced down, he could see that sleep was beginning to take Calanthe again.

“Eist,” Calanthe said, so softly that he almost did not hear, “I could not have done this without you.”

“Hmm.” Eist chuckled. “You could take on the whole Continent, with or without me.”

“It would not even be worth doing without you by my side.” Calanthe said, her voice growing steadily groggier.

When Eist glanced down again, he could see that Calanthe had fallen asleep. Her breath was steady against him, and the feeling of her rising and falling against his chest with each breath she took quickly lulled him to follow her.


	38. Chapter 19B - Calanthe

**Chapter 19B – Calanthe**

**Year 1257**

Calanthe and Eist had had their fare share of disagreements over the years. Most of them were easily solved, and the majority of the time Eist relented to her. This time however, Eist was between her thighs and had brought her right to the edge before pulling away. When the disagreement started, he had guided her to lay back on the bed before he pulled her to the edge of it as he got on his knees and draped her legs over his shoulders.

“No less than fifty.” Eist whispered as he kissed her thigh.

Calanthe almost screamed. He had been using his tongue so perfectly a moment ago in time with his fingers. “Even that amount is a little excessive for an arrest.” Calanthe muttered as she lifted her hips up towards him.

Eist chuckled. “I don’t believe it is.” He whispered as he trailed his kisses from her inner thigh towards her knee.

“You are going the wrong way.” Calanthe breathed out.

“Hmm?” Eist moaned as he pulled away. “I’m going to continue going the wrong way until you say that we will bring more soldiers with us.”

“Dammit Eist!” Calanthe moaned in frustration.

Before Calanthe thought about what she was doing, she quickly moved her hand between her thighs, intent on taking care of herself if Eist wouldn’t.

“No.” Eist said softly. He caught her wrist in his hand and gently pulled it away from herself before kissing her wrist. “That’s cheating.”

“And what is it that you’re doing?” Calanthe groaned, ready to scream again.

She had been so close and was now left dripping and throbbing.

“Persuading.”

“This is really not fair.” Calanthe moaned as she lifted her hips again. When she glanced down at Eist, he had raised himself so she could see him properly. “Will you finish what you started if I agree to bring fifty?” Calanthe asked after she breathlessly. Eist only nodded before leaning forward and pressing the softest of kisses to her inner thigh. “Fine. Fifty.” Calanthe said as she laid herself back down on the bed.

With one flick of Eist’s tongue, she came. Calanthe’s eyes rolled in the back of her head as she thrusted her hips in the air while he worked his tongue against her, helping her ride out her orgasm for as long as possible. When she finished, he pressed a firm kiss to her, causing her to cry out softly as Eist stood and began to take off his pants.

“I should deny you entry for teasing me like that.” Calanthe breathed out when Eist’s pants fell to his ankles while he slipped his shirt off.

For a moment, Eist looked truly upset. “You know I won’t force you…”

Calanthe rolled her eyes softly as she gently took him in her hand. “I’m joking.” She glanced up to see Eist grinning like a fool as he eagerly took a step so he was standing just bedside the bed. “But I am going to tease you as much as you did me.”

“I would hope so, my Queen.” Eist gasped as Calanthe took him in her mouth.

\--

Eist eventually found out about the letters that Calanthe had begun to receive that threatened her life. She had still been deliberately keeping them from him, knowing just how much he would be racked with worry if he learned of them. Calanthe had put the letters inside a drawer in the desk in their sitting room, only to be found by Eist when he was searching for a quill one day.

“When were you going to tell me about these?” Eist asked as he flipped through the letters.

“I wasn’t.” Calanthe said truthfully. She was not prepared for the hurt look that came to Eist’s eyes. “Darling, we both know all you would do is worry. Each threat has been investigated and nothing ever came from them.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.” Eist said quietly as he tossed the letters back in the drawer before running his hand through his hair.

“Eist, there was never any real danger. And no threats were ever made against anyone besides myself.”

Calanthe watched as Eist nodded softly before walking to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek before making his way out of their chambers. At first, Calanthe stayed behind as she sighed to herself, irritated at her own mistake. She thought at letting Eist go to get his anger out but decided against it and instead ran after him down the hall.

“Eist.” Calanthe called, loud enough for Eist to hear but soft enough to not bring attention to her.

“I’m going for a walk.”

“Then I’m coming with you.”

When Eist turned, she could see that his eyes were shining and was not sure if he was more hurt or angry.

“We don’t keep things from each other.” Eist said lowly.

“I’m sorry.” Calanthe said. She could hear the panic rising in her voice. “I thought I was doing what was best for you.”

Eist sighed as he walked back towards her. “That is for both of us to decide.”

Calanthe nodded her head as her own eyes began to sting with tears. Seeing Eist upset broke her heart, and it was made worse by knowing that she caused his pain. “I know. I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked with the last word she spoke.

“It’s alright.” Eist said as he walked closer and wrapped his arms around her. “Have you noticed that sometimes we worry so much for each other that we don’t think of much else?”

Calanthe chuckled just before she sniffed back a tear.

“I love you so much, Calanthe.” Eist whispered as he held her.

“I love you too.” Calanthe whispered back.

After a few moments, Eist dropped his arm to her waist just before he began to guide her down the hall.

“Still up for a walk?”

Calanthe smiled as she leaned her head against Eist’s arm for a moment as they made their way down the hall. “I am. And I am also in the mood to find a secluded spot in the gardens.”

“Ahh.” Eist chuckled as he dropped his arm from her waist just before they came into view of several courtesans. “And why exactly are you on the hunt for a secluded spot?”

“You’ll find out, and I think you’ll enjoy it.” Calanthe whispered back before winking.

\--

Calanthe nearly fell backwards with shock when Eist agreed to dual with her. She felt her grin spread across her face when Eist handed her a sword, hilt first. Back and forth they sparred for hours. Over time, Calanthe began to suspect that Eist was holding back though. She had seen him fight many a time and knew exactly what he was capable of. He could knock her straight on her back if he wanted to, yet every time it was Eist falling to the ground.

After a few hours, Pavetta brought Carena down, who laughed and clapped like mad each time Eist fell on his behind.

“You think that’s funny, do you?” Eist said playfully as Calanthe helped him stand.

Soon Eist had Carena in his arms and tossed her gently into the air while she giggled. Calanthe smiled as she watched them. She loved watching Eist with Carena. He was so good with her, and something about seeing Eist with their daughter warmed Calanthe to her very soul.

“I’ll never understand it.” Pavetta said. “She does not seem to mind any of this at all. You would think a child would be terrified of swords.”

“It depends on the child.” Calanthe said gently when Eist carefully pressed Carena into her mother’s arms. “You could not stand to be around them, but Ciri always liked to be.”

“Yes, and I’m sure she would rather be here now. She is getting to be a handful for Mousesack.” Pavetta said as she shook her head lightly.

Just as Calanthe opened her mouth to respond, the sound of dozens of horses trotting towards the palace could be heard in the distance.

Eist smirked as Calanthe asked “What is all that commotion for?”

Carena began to fuss then when Eist turned back around to face Calanthe. “Down! Down!”

“All right.” Calanthe said softly.

Calanthe frowned for a moment as she set Carena down gently on her feet. She was growing so fast, far too fast for Calanthe’s liking. Carena was old enough to walk on her own, albeit she often was still very wobbly. Calanthe already missed how she had been able to hold her for hours without Carena wanting to get down. At first, Carena wrapped her arms around Calanthe’s leg to steady herself before walking to Eist with her arms held out to balance herself.

“You are getting to be such a big girl.” Eist said when Carena reached him. “Now, do you want to go see Uncle Crach?”

“Crach?” Calanthe asked.

Crach was not supposed to be here, and instead should be in Skellige.

“Yes, that’s who has arrived.” Eist said as he motioned his head towards where the commotion was coming from.

“How do you know that?” Calanthe asked.

“I invited him.” Eist said as Calanthe raised her brow. “He is going to help us with Hilqvuest’s arrest.”

Just then, the doors to the training yard from the palace burst open.

“Uncle! I was told you were out here!” Crach said as he walked briskly towards Eist.

When he saw Calanthe, he bowed deeply. “Modron, I heard what happened. Are you well?”

Calanthe shook her head lightly. If it was not Eist or Mousesack fussing over her, then it was Crach.

“I’m fine.” Calanthe said. “You worry nearly as much as Eist.”

“Of course I do.” Crach said as he greeted Pavetta before facing Carena, who was now clutching Eist’s leg, and bent down on his knees. “There is the little sea hound!”

“Do you want to go give Uncle Crach a hug?” Eist asked as Crach held out his big, burly arms.

Carena giggled at first before sprinting over to Crach, only to fall on her behind half-way there. Calanthe smiled as she quickly stood, never being one to give up easily, and sprinted the rest of the way to him.

\--

That night Calanthe and Eist ate dinner inside their chambers with Carena as their only company. The chicken that was served smelled less than appetizing as Calanthe stared at it before turning her gaze out the window. While Calanthe loved the rush of adrenaline she felt on the battlefield and the feeling of equality it gave her, she was hesitant about tomorrow, and in the end all she wanted was to peacefully arrest Hilqvuest and return him to the capital for trial. She would have loved the idea of battling Hilqvuest and taking on any forces he could throw at her a few years ago, but things had changed.

It no longer seemed a good idea to go out in battle in a blaze of glory. She had another daughter to think of, and a granddaughter as well. Calanthe wanted to see what they would be like when they grew up and what kind of people they would become. But even more importantly, she had Eist now. Gone were the days of having a husband who would have counted himself lucky if his wife died in battle. Now she had a husband who she knew all too well would be devastated if he lost her. Calanthe could not blame him though, the idea of losing Eist brought its own devastation on her.

As Calanthe stared out the window, she realized how foolish she had been to throw herself into battle when Pavetta was young. How easily she had put herself at risk, and on more than one occasion, almost orphaned her own daughter. Calanthe sighed for a moment, thinking back on the preparations that had been made earlier that day. She had done what she could to ensure Pavetta, Carena, and Ciri would be kept safe. Her citizens would be the subject to whatever Hilqvuest’s desires were though, and there was nothing that could be done about that until one of her heirs would seize their rightful throne.

Calanthe shook her head, so lightly that she was sure Eist did not notice, pushing her thoughts away. _“You don’t lose,”_ Calanthe said to herself. _“You never have, and you’re not starting tomorrow.”_

“Well, at least the idiot did not suggest that I marry my own daughter.” Eist said.

For a moment, Calanthe stared blankly at Eist as she tried to register what he said, and eventually only nodded in response.

“I can only imagine what he would do to Carena if he got his hands on her.” Calanthe said through a sigh as she continued to stare before snapping her eyes to Eist.

There was something in Hilqvuest’s letter about the way Ciri and Carena were mentioned, almost as if there was a hidden implication behind his words.

“What’s wrong?” Eist asked as Calanthe scrambled through a pocket sewed into her dress.

“He mentioned Carena and Ciri in his letter.” Calanthe said as she unfolded the letter.

“What are you thinking he meant by it?” Eist asked as Carena grabbed her face in his hands.

Calanthe could barely register the giggle that came from Carena as her eyes flicked rapidly over the letter.

_If the king chooses to abdicate and not wed his stepdaughter or step-granddaughter, then he suggests that the king decree that the throne be passed immediately to Princess Cirilla or Princess Carena to rule in his stead. From there a viable marriage would be arranged for the new queen to ensure that a king sits on the Cintran throne._

_“A viable marriage?”_ Calanthe thought to herself. “If something were to happen to me…” Calanthe asked as she looked up at Eist.

“Don’t.” Eist said, stopping her. “Nothing will happen to you.”

“But if something did, what would you do?”

“Gods, I don’t know.” Eist said as he shrugged. “Life would be too unbearable to do anything.”

“Would you still want to be King?”

“No, I bloody well would not. I don’t want it now. You know I did not marry you for your crown.”

“Exactly.” Calanthe said as she set the letter down. “Don’t you see? Hilqvuest knows that, and he knows you would abdicate, and knows you would refuse to wed Pavetta or Ciri.”

“Alright, so if I abdicate, the throne goes to Pavetta either way.”

“Hilqvuest may be a lot of things, but he is right about Duny. The nobles have not grown to accept him, not even after all this time. And he also knows that you would not put the Cintran throne at risk by leaving it to a king who could be easily overthrown.”

“So, I abdicate in favor of Ciri…”

“…or Carena.”

“Or Carena,” Eist repeated, “Either way it is still your blood on the throne. Regardless of if it’s Ciri or Carena who succeed you, they would need a husband eventually.”

“Yes, they would.” Calanthe said. “They would be expected to produce heirs and hand their authority over to their husbands, just as I was.” Calanthe began to pace the room as her mind raced. “It would not take long I suspect that Hilqvuest suggests that he has Cintra’s best interests at heart. And with that notion, it would be easy for him to convince the other noblemen that there would be no better man to be king…”

“Then himself.” Eist whispered.

Calanthe took a breath as she sat down. Hilqvuest had played his cards well. Tomorrow was beginning to look less and less like it would end in a peaceful arrest. And what better way for Hilqvuest to make his final case against Calanthe than to kill her and tell the court that he simply had no choice and was only defending himself against the Queen and her forces.

\--

“Everything will be alright.” Eist said softly before pressing a kiss to Calanthe’s ear, prompting her to only nod in response.

It was late at night, and Carena had been put to bed. Now Calanthe was in the tub with Eist, leaning back against his chest with his arms wrapped tight around her and his head resting on her shoulder.

“It will be. I promise.” Eist said. “And by the Gods if it is not, he will not be able to touch them in Skellige. Bran will protect them with his life.”

“Yes.” Calanthe said as her voice cracked. “And Cintra will fall into the hands of a power-hungry mad man.”

“Well, it is simple then. We will not fail tomorrow. There is no other option.”

Calanthe chuckled. It was times like these when she was thankful more than ever for Eist. She had not met anyone who could be so optimistic and had as such a simple world view as he did, and she loved him for it.

“You always make everything sound so simple.” Calanthe said. “But I am beginning to think you were right about the number of soldiers that we need.”

\--

Battles were often fought at the crack of dawn, so Calanthe and Eist had deliberately decided to wait until later in the day to make their approach on Hilqvuest to catch him off guard. Calanthe had fallen asleep quickly the night before, worn out from making love with Eist, their thrusts fast, hard, and urgent. Calanthe was just coming out of her sleep as she heard Eist yawn and felt him stretch slightly beneath her.

“Hmm.” Calanthe hummed softly as she kissed his chest. “Tell me it’s not time to get up just yet.”

“It’s dawn.” Eist said softly as she snuggled herself tight against his chest with closed eyes.

“Good. That means we can stay in bed a little while longer.” Calanthe said.

Calanthe smiled softly as Eist fell back asleep almost instantly, followed by the sound of light snoring. The sound was soothing and soon, Calanthe fell back asleep too.

\--

Despite Calanthe’s wishes, Eist had spoken to the armorer to have Calanthe’s full set of armor prepared. After they ate a light breakfast and fed Carena, their armor was brought to their chambers, also at Eist’s request so they could dress there. Calanthe eyed her armor when it was set out for her, but did not say a word about it, not at least until the soldiers that brought it were gone.

They helped each other dress in stages, and when Eist pulled the the cuisse and greave over Calanthe’s left leg, she only mildly protested.

“Remember when I said that I was only wearing my breastplate and pauldrons?” Calanthe said as she pressed her hand against Eist’s shoulder for support.

“Please,” Eist said. “Wear your full armor. Wear it for me.”

Calanthe sighed as her took her hand from Eist’s shoulder and rested it against his jaw. Apart of the reason that she had been resistant to wear her full armor was because she felt she did not need it for a simple arrest, the other was that she did not want to send the wrong signal by showing up to Hilqvuest’s wearing it in the first place. Calanthe knew full well that any man would believe he were under attack if she showed up to their home, dressed in her armor with a sword at her side. However, she could see the look in Eist’s eyes. He would be so full of worry for her if she was not wearing it, which left him vulnerable.

“Will it give you peace of mind?”

“It will.” Eist whispered back as he gently took her hand from his cheek to press it to his lips.

“Fine.” Calanthe said as she playfully rolled her eyes.

The last piece of armor that Eist placed on Calanthe was her helm. He was gentle when he pulled it over her head and used the tip of his finger to brush back a few wisps of hair that had fallen from the braid that was twisted and pinned at the nape of her neck.

“Where is your helm?” Calanthe asked as she glanced around the sitting room.

“You know I don’t like wearing it. The bloody thing makes it awfully difficult to see.”

Calanthe sighed. It seems that it would be her who would worry for Eist the entire time. His helm normally came off in battle, often with him ripping it off out of frustration, and this was not the first time he had said that wearing it made it difficult to see. “Then we should have a new one made for you. I don’t like that you are not wearing one.”

“I’ll be fine.” Eist whispered as he took her face in her hands.

He slipped his fingers under the metal of her helm that curved around to protect the sides of her face. For just a moment, Calanthe closed her eyes and leaned her head into his touch. After a few moments, she looked back up at him, not being entirely convinced that he would be alright.

“Alright.” Eist said softly as he bent down, angling his head slightly to avoid pressing his forehead into the small brim of her helm, and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’ll have a new one made when this is over. Okay?”

Calanthe nodded in response before she sighed softly and turned to pick up Eist’s belt with his sword and dagger and strapped it to his waist.

\--

No matter how little or great the time was to spend away from Carena, it was never easy to say goodbye to her. To make matters worse, she had grown enough to have an understanding of when someone was saying goodbye to her, and she did not cope well with it. Calanthe held Carena before Eist and was first fascinated by her mother’s armor, particularly the lion paws on her pauldrons. Carena patted her little hand against them and giggled, but her face dropped after Calanthe pressed kisses on her daughters’ cheeks before handing her to Eist.

“Mama!” Carena screamed when she was placed in Eist’s arms.

Calanthe blinked back tears for a moment, wanting more than anything to take Carena back and never let her go. A single tear finally fell when Carena started to reach for Calanthe from Eist’s arms, and Calanthe quickly turned to swiftly wipe the tear away.

“I love you, my little sea hound.” Eist whispered.

Carena turned her eyes to Eist then and began to tear up as she looked frantically back and forth between her mother and father.

“It’s alright.” Calanthe said softly as she stepped towards Eist and pressed more kisses onto Carena’s cheeks, hoping it comforted her daughter in some way.

As she did so, their chamber door opened as Pavetta walked inside. The plan had been laid out to Pavetta, and she was well aware of what to do if they lost.

“Come now, Mother.” Pavetta said as Calanthe stepped back from Carena to hug Pavetta. “You talk as if you won’t win.”

“Oh, I will win.” Calanthe said, tinting her own voice with humor to hide how she was feeling. “But it is wise to have arraignments in place.”

“Mother, you’ll come back.” Pavetta said firmly as she looked at Calanthe. “I need you. I need both of you.”

“Yes. We will.” Eist said as he looked at Calanthe before pressing a kiss to Carena’s head and handing her to Pavetta. “Now you be good for your sister until we return.”

Calanthe fought back every instinct in her to not run back to Carena as she screamed for them from Pavetta’s arms as they made their way down the hall.

\--

The journey to Hilqvuest’s residence was short, only lasting about thirty minutes. While the sun was bright in the sky, the weather was thankfully cool. Eist and Calanthe rode ahead with Vissegerd on horseback close behind them, followed by the twenty knights on horseback, and the eighty foot soldiers. It was more than Calanthe had agreed too, but as the situation had unfolded, she was glad that Eist had arraigned for more men to occupancy them.

Upon their arrival, Eist dismounted first and quickly walked to Calanthe’s side and offered her his hand before she dismounted as well. Once Calanthe’s feet touched the ground, Eist glanced around to see the mercenaries looking between themselves with a look of utter confusion on their faces. A man closest to the door leaned towards another man, whispered something in his ear, and then quickly went inside.

“What’s wrong, gentleman?” Calanthe asked as she walked closer to them with Eist by her side. “You all look as though you have seen a ghost.”

“Your Majesty…” The man closest to Calanthe stammered, “We were told you were dead.”

“Were you?” Calanthe asked, her tone full of sarcasm. Despite the danger of the current situation, she was determined to enjoy toying with Hilqvuest and his men. “That is rather interesting. I do not remember dying. Darling,” Calanthe said as she turned to Eist, “Did I pass away and was not made aware of it?”

“No, you did not my Queen.” Eist said through a smirk and Calanthe could tell that he was fighting back laughter.

Calanthe nodded as she turned back to the man. “So, what business do you all have here?”

“That is not your concern.”

“You are on Cintran land. Everything that happens here is my concern.”

As Calanthe spoke, the man who had entered the house moments ago had walked out again. He had slipped on a breastplate and was carrying his sword in his hand. He walked towards her quickly, smirking as he did. Calanthe held her ground, and her hand only slightly lifted towards the hilt of her sword. Now at only a few more steps towards her, Eist drew his sword.

“That’s close enough.” Eist said firmly.

“Your Majesty, do you really think I am going to walk up to the Queen and take a swing at her?”

“Who are you?” Eist asked as he lowered his sword to his side.

“Aidran.” The man said.

“And what is your purpose here?”

“I serve Lord Hilqvuest.” Aidran said before he turned to Calanthe. “We received word that you were dead.”

“Yes, and you seem somewhat disappointed that I am very much alive.”

Calanthe saw the archer pull back his bow string just before she was slammed into the ground. The landing took the wind right out of her, making her gasp for breath. Eist was on top of her, shielding her with his body. Without thinking, Calanthe used all the strength she had to pull her arm out from under him and clasp it around the back of his head. Her hand would do little to protect his head if another arrow was shot at them, but she had to try. After another gasp for air, Calanthe turned her gaze to see Eist staring at her, and he looked terrified.

“Eist.” Calanthe said. Her voice was soft even as she was crushed under the weight of him and his armor. “I’m all right.”

Somewhere in between she had heard Vissegerd command her soldiers to charge, and the sound of swords clashing and bodies falling surrounded them as Eist helped Calanthe to her feet. Calanthe pulled her sword from her hilt just in time for a mercenary to take a swing at her. She stepped to the side and parried before quickly pulling back her sword and swinging it across her body, slicing across the mercenary’s chest. Calanthe turned then to look for Eist, and as she did, she felt something hit her square in the chest.

It hurt, but it was not a piercing pain. Instead it felt as though she had just been punched in the chest. When Calanthe glanced down, she first saw the arrow that had splintered before falling at her feet. Calanthe kept fighting as adrenaline flowed through her veins and kept her moving. Within another moment, the archer was shot dead by and arrow from Crach.

When the scene was over, ten Cintran soldiers and one knight laid dead on the grass.

“Why don’t you wait outside?” Eist asked as Calanthe turned towards the house.

“And miss all the fun?” Calanthe asked. “I think not.”

Just as Calanthe began to walk away, Eist grabbed her arm. “We don’t know what awaits us in there. Let me clear it…”

“No.” Calanthe said firmly.

“You are so stubborn.” Eist grumbled as he motioned for Vissegerd and several knights to follow them.

“If I remember correctly, you enjoy that I like fighting so much.”

“That is true, however I would rather you not walk into a house and have men spring out at you.”

“It will be fine.” Calanthe said as she reached the door and opened it.

Hilqvuest’s summer home was large and just as luxurious on the inside as the outside had been. The entryway opened into a large hall with a massive staircase leading upstairs at the far end of the hall. Door after door lined both sides of the hall leading to various rooms. Just as Calanthe stepped foot inside, Eist was close behind her, practically pushing Calanthe further into the entryway just so he could be beside her.

Two men were waiting at the top of the stairs, which were dispatched quickly. The third and final mercenary was at the very end of the hall, guarding the room that was behind him. It took Eist a single swing of his sword to kill him.

When Calanthe entered the room at the end of the hall, she found Lord Hilqvuest himself, huddled over a fire that he was tossing various books and pieces of loose parchment into. When he looked up at Calanthe, he was the same color his hired mercenaries had turned when they first saw Calanthe themselves.

“I had received word that you were dead.”

“Yes, you did.” Calanthe said slowly as she entered the room and glanced around to ensure no one else was inside. When she saw that there was not, she removed her helm and set it on a nearby table. “Did you truly think that we would not discover what you have done and what your true intentions are?”

Hilqvuest chuckled as he tossed another leather-bound book into the flames while Calanthe took a few more steps towards him, followed closely by Eist. “I was beginning to suspect that you would not.”

Calanthe nodded. “Your men tried to kill me. This was meant to be a peaceful arrest.”

“Peaceful arrest?” Hilqvuest chuckled. “Then why the armor, Lioness of Cintra?”

“I would wear my armor instead of a gown any day.”

Calanthe’s eyes flicked down as Hilqvuest picked up a small dagger and twirled it in his hand.

“Put it down.” Eist warned.

“Calm down, sea puppy. Tell me, do you live your entire life wallowing at this woman’s side?”

Calanthe did not give Eist time to respond. Her hand was drawing her dagger from its sheath in a flash, and in another moment, she threw it to land just to the side of Hilqvuest’s head where it stuck straight out of the wall. Hilqvuest jumped at the sound of the dagger hitting, which brought a smirk to Calanthe’s face.

“Do not speak to your king that way.” Calanthe warned.

“I believe you are threatening me, your Majesty.”

Calanthe rolled her eyes. “No, Lord Hilqvuest, I am not threatening you. You see, a threat would imply that there is only the possibility of harm coming to you, but we are far past that now.”

Calanthe watched as Hilqvuest’s eyes shifted from her to her side. He looked downright furious. She turned to see Eist pulling several books and loose parchment pieces from the fire.

“What is wrong, my esteemed Lord? You look rather upset.”

“Do you make it a habit of rummaging through peoples fires?”

“No.” Eist mused as he stamped out the remaining fire on the corner of a piece of parchment before picking up the first book he pulled out of the fire. “But most men are not stupid enough to send an assassin after my wife.”

“You have no right.” Hilqvuest muttered as he took a step forward.

“No right?” Calanthe asked as she raised her brows. “You attempted to have your Queen killed. The king will go through your fires if he damn well pleases.”

Sometime told her to turn around then, and when she did, she saw Eist staring at her. Eist now had gone pale and looked as though he was about to be sick.

“What is it?” Calanthe asked.

“It was you all along?” Eist said softly.

Calanthe stared at Eist, wondering what on the Continent he was talking about.

“You were the one who sent the hydra all those years ago. You arranged for the storm that caused the Queen’s ship to crash. You sent the assassin on Skellige, and the one in Cintra. All these years, and all of it was you.”

“What?” Calanthe asked.

Eist handed her the leather-bound book that he had been reading before walking towards Hilqvuest. She glanced over it quickly and found herself becoming nauseous. It was a journal. Calanthe flipped through it frantically and saw entries recounting the storm that nearly sunk her ship in Skellige and the hydra that attacked Eist’s ship. Hilqvuest had even hired the doppler who took form as Vios Nirwen and Tristan and Reqard, the former who had nearly killed Eist while attempting to assistant Calanthe. There was an entry about a woman disgusted as a prostitute that was meant to seduce Eist, and the final entry stated that Calanthe had finally been dispatched of by a poisoned glass of wine, served to her by Elin.

Calanthe could feel her heart pounding in her ear when she looked up to see Eist’s hand around Hilqvuest’s throat.

“Eist,” Calanthe said as she walked up behind him. “Don’t kill him, not yet.”

It took Calanthe’s hand to rest on Eist’s gauntlet covered arm for him to stop.

“Good puppy.” Hilqvuest said through a cough as he gasped for breath.

Calanthe took one look at Hilqvuest before slapping him so hard that he fell unconscious before he hit the floor.

\--

Hilqvuest’s trial was held the following day with mandatory attendance orders issued to every nobleman in Cintra. The journal Eist found was read aloud, as were several letters that were found as Hilqvuest’s house was searched. The handwriting on the letter sent to Elin was easily matched to, proving that Hilqvuest was indeed the person who sent her. After her confession, Elin was executed, followed quickly by Hilqvuest after he was found unanimously guilty by his peers.

“It feels strange.” Calanthe said as they walked together to their chambers from the courtyard. “I still can’t quite believe it.”

“Believe what?” Eist asked as he took her hand when they rounded a corner.

“It’s over. And all along it had been one man. One man caused all of this.”

“And may he be a lesson to them all.”

\--

“I have an idea.” Eist whispered that night just before pressing a kiss to Calanthe’s temple as she curled herself against him.

“I hope that it involves using a looking glass again.” Calanthe whispered.

Calanthe’s eyes grew heavy as she traced her fingertips from his forearm, to his shoulder, and down again. Earlier that evening, Eist had pulled out of Calanthe rather suddenly and without warning. She nearly screamed at the sudden lack of contact and thought she just may kill him when he returned carrying a looking glass.

“If you don’t get back inside of me soon...” Calanthe groaned as Eist propped the looking glass in front of her, leaning it against the headboard. “What on the Continent are you doing?”

Eist pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s shoulder before climbing on the bed behind her again. “You’ll see, my Queen.” Eist whispered as he put his hands on her hips and pressed himself against her. “Angle it to the left, just a little.”

Calanthe huffed loud enough for Eist to hear but did what he asked her to do anyway.

“There.” Eist said through a groan.

Calanthe closed her eyes while she let out a gasp when he entered her and began to thrust. As Eist quickened his pace, Calanthe’s mouth began to open steadily wider as she furrowed her brow. Soon she laid herself on the bed with only her buttocks in the air. Eist’s fingers steadily grazed over her clit with light fingers as he whispered, “Open your eyes.”

Calanthe craned her neck and found his gaze in the looking glass. She had always wished she could see what Eist looked like when he took her from behind. He looked utterly lost in desire as he thrusted over and over before his hand disappeared between her thighs. Calanthe raised herself so she was holding her upper body up with her hands and stared, unblinking for fear that she would miss something. Soon his hand was dancing over her, causing Calanthe’s hips to begin to buck.

“Oh Gods.” Calanthe gasped when Eist sped up his ministrations on her clit.

“Come for me.” Eist whispered.

That was all it took for Calanthe to collapse against the bed again as she screamed his name. When she came again, she squirted as she writhed on the bed. Calanthe was nearly ready to pass out when she came for the third time. Eist came with her, only heightening the pleasure she felt, and it was hard to tell who screamed loudest as they finished.

“We can use the looking glass as often as you wish.” Eist said through a soft laugh as he pressed another kiss to Calanthe’s temple just as she let out a yawn.

“Well tell me this idea of yours, but you’ll have to make it quick. You’ve worn me out.” Calanthe whispered.

Eist’s hand trailed from her back to rest against the back of her head. Calanthe was so comfortable that her body felt heavy against his and she had to fight to not fall asleep.

“It seems the nobleman are on your side now.”

“Yes, I believe they are.” Calanthe whispered back. “And those who are not are too afraid to say otherwise.”

“Why don’t you make a decree then, with the support of your noblemen.”

“And what do you suggest that I decree, my dear husband?” Calanthe asked lazily.

“That henceforth, men will not be favored in the line of succession for the Cintran throne. Instead, the eldest child, male or female, will be the next ruler of Cintra.”

The idea was enough to pull Calanthe from her sleepy state as she propped herself on her elbow. Eist turned his head slightly to face her and soon began to smirk.

“Do you really think they would agree?”

“I do.” Eist whispered as his hand glided down her back again. “And I believe that you may not get a chance like this again. Right now, they are rallying around you, but we both no circumstances can change.”

“Yes, they certainly can.” Calanthe said. “That means that when the time comes, Pavetta will reign…”

“And Duny would be the Prince Consort, as would Ciri’s future husband.”

Calanthe smirked slightly again. “It seems you would be the last King of Cintra for a while.”

“I would.” Eist said as he smiled. “If I have learned anything in all my years with you, it’s that Cintra does rather well with a Queen at its helm.”

Calanthe laughed. “There has been a king at my side too.”

“In title only.” Eist whispered as Calanthe pressed herself against him again. “Everyone knows that you hold the power, and I rather like it that way. Besides, if it is decided that a woman can rule within her own right and not be superseded by her husband, it may just prevent something like this from happening again.”

Calanthe closed her eyes for a moment as sleep threatened to take her.

“Eist,” Calanthe said softly, “I could not have done this without you.”

“Hmm.” Eist chuckled. “You could take on the whole Continent, with or without me.”

“It would not even be worth doing without you by my side.” Calanthe said, her voice growing steadily groggier.

And with that, Calanthe fell fast asleep, wrapped in the warmth of Eist’s arms.


	39. Chapter 20 - Eist & Calanthe

**Chapter 20 – Eist & Calanthe**

**Year 1257**

With Hilqvuest’s influence gone, Calanthe was easily able to persuade the nobles and aristocracy that the ability to rule was not defined by gender. Thus, the decree was passed that henceforth, the first-born child of the Cintran monarch would be the heir to the throne. Pavetta’s title was changed to the Crown Princess of Cintra, and Duny took well to the notion that he would not be a king, but instead a prince consort. Ciri would then succeed her mother and the future husband that she would take could not be titled higher than a prince.

**Year 1261**

Eist was set to make yet another one of his journeys to Skellige. He had limited his voyages to once a month and stayed no longer than a few days if Calanthe and Carena were not with him. While Eist enjoyed visiting his homeland, over the years, the journeys became progressively lonelier without Calanthe by his side. The journey itself took roughly a day, depending on the wind and sea, making him gone about five days at a time once a month. A few times he had taken Carena by herself but stopped when he saw how miserable she became without her mother. Calanthe traveled with him when she could, but those times were rare, for she often felt too racked with guilt to leave Cintra so often.

This time Duny came with him though, and Eist was glad for the company. Their trips purpose was to inspect a group of newly trained sailors and three additional ships that had been built in Kaer Trolde. Both men had agreed to make quick work of their tasks in hopes that they could sail back to Cintra sooner than expected.

“Do you suppose everyone is like this?” Duny asked as they walked up the gang plank, one full day ahead of schedule.

“Meaning?” Eist asked.

“We’re both miserable without our wives, only I don’t find others to be the same. There are an awful lot of men in Cintra that seem all too happy to be away from their wives.”

Eist chuckled. “No, I don’t think most people are like us. But then again, we are the lucky ones.”

“Yes, we certainly are.” Duny agreed.

They made haste on their journey back to Cintra, sailing straight through the night to get there sooner. They encountered a storm however, which slowed their arrival by several hours. When they finally docked and disembarked, it was well past midnight.

“Well, at least we still arrived home early. They won’t be expecting us till this evening.” Duny said as he climbed onto his horse.

They went their separate ways when they arrived back at the palace. When Eist entered his chambers, he was surprised to find his wife was not alone in their bed.

Calanthe had fallen asleep with Carena wrapped in her arms and snuggled against her chest. Pavetta was lying beside her with Ciri’s back pressed against her mother and a book lying open beside them on the bed. Eist quietly made his way to Calanthe and pressed the softest of kisses to the corner of her mouth, careful not to wake her. He only gently patted Carena on the back of her head, unable to kiss her due to her face being buried against her mother.

Eist sighed as he returned to the sitting room, slipping off his doublet and tossing it on a nearby chair as he went. He had intended on curling up into bed with Calanthe, but he could not dare disturb them as they all slept so peacefully. Soon Eist was settled and falling asleep, content with seeing Calanthe when he woke.

\--

“Papa! Papa! Papa!”

Eist was jolted upward at the sound of his daughter’s voice. When he opened his eyes, he saw Carena standing beside him, bouncing on her toes. She was five years old now and was steadily looking more like her mother with each passing day. Her blue eyes were huge with excitement, as was the grin she bore on her face as she stood inches from where Eist lay.

“You’re home!”

Before he could speak, Carena was climbing on top of him. Eist winced slightly as her knees dug into his ribs just before she threw her arms around him.

“I missed you, little one.” Eist whispered as Carena pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“I missed you too, Papa.” Her voice muffled from pressing her little face into his beard. “Mama missed you too. She’s been sad.”

“She has?” Eist asked as he frowned.

“Yes. She is always sad when you go away.”

Eist sighed softly as Carena nestled herself between the back of the couch and his side, wanting now more than ever to take Carena back to the bedchamber and curl up with her and Calanthe. Pavetta and Ciri were still in their bed though, so that would not do. Instead, Eist smirked as he adjusted his arm so he could wrap it around Carena. She was so small compared to him that she was practically swallowed up between him and the couch. Within moments, Carena was asleep, followed quickly by Eist.

\--

When Calanthe woke in the morning, she nearly fell out of bed when she noticed Carena was gone. With her heart racing, she sprinted to the privy, only to find it empty. When she quickly walked to the sitting room, she noticed two large feet sticking out over the arm of the couch. She smirked. Eist was home.

When she approached, she found her missing daughter barely visible as she slept soundly beside her father with his arm wrapped around her. Calanthe smirked when she looked from Carena’s face to Eist’s. As much as Carena was growing to look like Calanthe, she certainly was full of Eist’s expressions, and they both currently wore the same subtle lopsided grin as they slept. Calanthe smiled then as she bent down to rest on her knees as she ran her fingers through Eist’s hair. Gods had she missed him. She loved to watch him sleep, and he looked particularly sweet with Carena nestled beside him. She trailed her hand down his face and gently stroked his cheek before resting it on his jaw. His beard was a little longer than usual, still needing a trim from his few days in Skellige.

Eist’s eyes lazily opened at the touch of her soft hand, causing an undeniable grin to come to Calanthe’s face. “Welcome home.”

“Gods I missed you.” Eist whispered as he blinked heavily.

“I missed you too.” Calanthe said softly.

It took a little fenagling, but Calanthe and Eist were eventually able to get Carena into her bed without waking her. As they left her bedchamber and quietly shut the door behind them, Pavetta came walking out of their own bedchamber, holding Ciri’s hand.

“Your home early.” Pavetta said just before she yawned. After a moment, her eyes went wide. “Duny’s home!”

Eist smirked as he stepped aside while Pavetta ushered a sleepy Ciri, who had just started to yawn herself, out of their chambers. “Come on! Your papa is home!”

“Carena mentioned you were sad while I was away.” Eist said as they made their way to their bedchamber and began to slip off their clothes.

“She did?” Calanthe said, purposely looking away from Eist as she spoke

Calanthe frowned. She thought she ought to be used to Eist sailing to Skellige by now. Over the years it never got easier though, and in fact, quite the opposite was happening. Each time he left, Calanthe felt a sharp twinge of sadness that worsened until he returned that she tried very hard to hide. When Eist would leave, the first day was always the easiest to bear. The second day typically held no trouble either, but by the third day, Calanthe would begin to have trouble sleeping and often loose her appetite. It felt like half of her was missing, and as hard as the days were without Eist to talk to and make her laugh, the nights were worse. Despite their many years of marriage, they had never stopped holding each other while they slept. Calanthe would toss and turn, constantly reaching out for Eist just as she would fall asleep, only to jolt awake when she could not find him. In the mornings, she would often wake from a restless sleep holding a pillow, which was a poor substitute for her husband.

Eist loved his trips to Skellige though, so despite how miserable she was each time he left, she had until that point, not expressed it to him.

They both climbed into bed then, and Calanthe grinned when she laid her head against the crook of Eist’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. There was nothing on the Continent that felt as good as laying like this. Calanthe sighed softly, and Eist must have heard as he quickly pressed a kiss to her temple. Perhaps it was time to tell him how she felt. “It gets harder every time you go.”

Eist pulled Calanthe tighter against him. “I know. It’s getting harder for me as well. Every time I step foot on the ship, all I want to do is turn around and come back to you.”

They laid in silence for a while, and Eist had thought Calanthe had fallen asleep. He laid with his eyes closed, occasionally pressing soft kisses to her forehead as he traced his fingertips up and down her spine. It was only after she stirred and began to lightly run her nails over his forearm did he realized that she was not yet asleep.

“The next time I go to Skellige, come with me.”

Calanthe paused for a moment. It had been a long time since she had visited Skellige. Before she could speak, Eist said “Pavetta will keep an eye on things here, and it will only be for a few days. Besides, you have not been there in a while and the people would like to see their Ard Rhena every now and again. You are their Queen too after all. Carena loves it there, and we can take Ciri with us too…”

“All right.” Calanthe said through a chuckle. “All right, you have convinced me. I’ll go.”

Eist pressed kiss after kiss to her forehead then, causing a grin to form on Calanthe’s face just as the sun began to rise.

**

Over the years, Calanthe began to take a step back from her duties as she passed more of them to Pavetta. At first, she found letting go hard, but it was Eist that convinced her that it could be more helpful to let her transition into her role as queen over time instead of having it thrust upon her suddenly at her mother’s death.

Calanthe still attended council meetings and banquets, but now each time Eist sailed to Skellige, she sailed with him. Mousesack would stay behind to be with Pavetta and Duny, but Carena and Ciri, who had grown as close as if they were sisters, were glad to take a break from their studies. While Eist and Calanthe would tour Skellige during the day, Carena and Ciri could be found splashing in the hot springs or riding horses on the beach. When the sun set, they would come together at a banquet, and giggle away as their Uncle Crach beat opponent after opponent in arm wrestling.

**Year 1272**

As Eist and Calanthe flipped through the drawings he had made of Carena during her first year, they smiled as they looked back on how much she had grown. Carena grew into a spitting image of her mother, with her father’s ocean blue eyes and thick hair with large curls.

“Apart of me still wishes she was this small.” Calanthe said as she picked up the drawing of Carena at six months old. “Gods, do I miss holding her.”

“So do I.” Eist said as he picked up another drawing. “Do you remember her first swim?”

“I do.” Calanthe said through a laugh. “She loved it. And now it’s impossible to get her out of the water.”

As they reminisced, Carena was indeed at the harbor with Ciri and a squad of guards in tow, swimming the afternoon away. While they both swam beautifully, it was Carena who was the better of the two, swimming so well it was as if she were a dolphin.

“You have her gift for tomorrow?” Calanthe asked.

Eist grinned as he walked across the room to pick up a small velvet box that had arrived earlier that day from Skellige. It was a crown made of pearls and sapphires, made in a similar fashion to the one Eist had given Calanthe, only smaller in scale. Tomorrow was Carena’s sixteenth birthday, and per usual, Pavetta had planned an elaborate banquet for the occasion.

“It’s beautiful, darling.” Calanthe said as Eist opened the box to show her the crown.

“And you have yours?” Eist asked as he carefully shut the box.

Calanthe nodded. “It should be sent up from the artillator soon.”

Carena had been trained by her parents on how to fight with a sword and an axe, but it was using a bow that she truly loved. The Cintran artillator had made a longbow for her and carefully carved an ornate rope and rose pattern into the bow, similar to the one found on Eist’s armor and Calanthe’s ring.

\--

The next day, Calanthe and Eist woke Carena early to take her down to the archery range before they had to dress for the banquet that was to begin that afternoon. Calanthe smiled when Carena saw her bow. She grinned so wide that it reached her ears before she flung her arms around Calanthe. “It’s perfect, Mama!”

Calanthe smiled again as she held Carena tight. She never did stop calling her “Mama”, or Eist “Papa” for that matter. Afterward, Calanthe handed her an arrow before she and Eist stepped back for Carena to take her shot. She took a moment to test the string as she pulled it back and then took aim before hitting the center of the target on her first try.

\--

When Eist went to Carena’s chambers to give her her gift, which were now separate from her parents, he teared up when he saw her. Gods, did she look like her mother. She was already dressed for the banquet, wearing an emerald green gown and her hair half tied back.

“Come here, little one.” Eist said as he blinked back a tear and cleared his throat. He had continued to use that nickname despite the fact that Carena was no longer little anymore and had even grown to be slightly taller than her mother.

“It’s beautiful, Papa. Thank you.” Carena said softly as Eist held the open box out to her. She pulled it out carefully and admired it before placing it on her head.

After taking a moment to carefully position the crown in place, Carena gave her father a hug. Tears stung Eist’s eyes again. While he did indeed miss the times when Carena was so little he would carry her for hours, or how curious she became as she grew into a toddler, he could not deny that he was proud of the young woman she had grown into. And what was more, he was excited to see who she would continue to grow to be.

\--

Eist had to chase away three men who he felt were spending a little too much time admiring Carena that evening at the banquet. It was not uncommon for him to do, and more than one man at the banquet had been threatened on previous occasions to be banished from Cintra if they continued. Meanwhile Carena and Ciri danced the night away as suitor after suitor approached them.

More than one treaty had been made when Calanthe promised Ciri’s future engagement to some other kingdoms king, prince, or duke. Each alliance was broken however with Calanthe becoming too racked with guilt at the idea of forcing Ciri into a marriage that she did not choose. It was decided that neither Ciri nor Carena would be subject to an arranged marriage, and instead would be free to make their own choices.

Now as both Ciri and Carena had grown into young women, they were admired heavily by every man in Cintra. While Calanthe and Pavetta enjoyed gossiping between each other as to who their daughter’s held interest in, it left Eist and Duny in a constant state of fatherly protection towards any man that as so much looked at their daughters.

“I think that blonde knight rather likes Ciri.” Calanthe said to Pavetta from the table they sat at.

“I believe you are right, and I think she likes him too.”

Eist glanced over to see Duny’s eye twitch as he glared at the man dancing with his daughter.

“I don’t like this.” Eist grumbled from his seat.

“Don’t like what?” Calanthe asked, not breaking her eye contact from the dancers.

“There are lots of young women here. Why is it that the men only want to dance with Carena and Ciri?”

Calanthe chuckled. “They are by far the two most beautiful girls at this banquet. And they are princesses, which certainly helps.”

Eist sighed. He wanted Carena and Ciri to be happy, to find what he and Calanthe had found in each other. That did not change the fact though that Eist still struggled to see them as young women, and instead saw them as the little girls they once were when he looked at them.

“These shindigs need a touch of the old abracadabra.” Eist whispered to Mousesack in an attempt to calm his anger as he watched a young man stare at Carena for a little too long as she walked past him.

“At your service, your Majesty. Tricks and illusions to delight.”

Later that evening, Mousesack whispered magic into the air, causing bursting fireworks to flash across the banquet hall ceiling.

\--

The ride to the cabin was short. Calanthe had picked the location for it herself. It was at a cove that was just outside the Cintran capital. The idea had struck her when Eist mentioned over a year ago in passing that they had nowhere to go where they were not constantly surrounded by people. He wished they had someplace where it could be them, and only them.

When Calanthe found the cove, she knew the spot was perfect. When they were there, Eist would be able to swim as often as he wished, and the cove was secluded enough and off the main road that they should be left alone, or as alone as a King and Queen could be with their guards posted far back enough to not be noticeable until they would need to be.

The cabin was small, consisting of a sitting room, and bedchamber, privy chamber, and a kitchen consisting of only a fireplace and spots to store barrels of drink and sacks of food. The bedding had been made in Skellige, a small desk in the sitting room was stocked of parchment and charcoal, a chessboard sat on a table in the sitting room, and there were shelves lined with books waiting for them to read. Several servants had stocked the kitchen with food and drink the day before, and precut firewood was stacked near each fireplace.

“Let’s walk from here.” Calanthe said as she climbed down from her horse.

Eist followed her but paused when Calanthe began to tie up their horses to a nearby tree.

“So, where do you want to walk too?” Eist asked as Calanthe approached him.

“Here. Put this on.”

Eist raised his brow. “Why are you blindfolding me?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Eist smirked as several reasons for being blindfolded flashed in his mind, all of them involving his wife being naked. “What kind of surprise?”

They had been married for so long that Calanthe could all but read his mind. “Not that kind of surprise.” Calanthe said as she swatted him on the chest.

She carefully guided Eist through the trees until the cabin and cove came into view. She led him closer and only once did Eist trip on a small rock, causing Calanthe to burst into laughter.

When the blindfold was removed from around Eist, it took him a moment to adjust to the bright light from the sun as he blinked heavily. When he finally registered what he was looking at, he realized it was a small cabin

“What do you think?” Calanthe asked as she folded her arms across herself.

“It’s a cabin.” Eist said through a shrug. Calanthe smirked. Eist was clever but was not catching that this was his surprise. “I don’t remember seeing this before. I wonder who had it built?” Eist wondered aloud as he took a few steps forward.

“It’s ours.” Calanthe said softly.

“Ours?” Eist asked shockingly as he glanced back at Calanthe before turning around to walk back to her. “Did you say it’s ours?” When Calanthe looked up at Eist, she could see the excitement in his eyes. “Is it really?”

“Well you had said that there was nowhere for us to go to be alone. I thought this might be nice for us to…”

Calanthe was quickly pulled into Eist’s arms as his lips captured hers. After a moment, Eist grinned against her as he held her tight. “I can’t believe you did this.” Eist whispered as he pressed kisses to her cheeks.

“Do you want to see the inside?” Calanthe asked as Eist’s hand slid down her hip, only to move back and cup her behind.

“Yes.” Eist said huskily. “Preferably the bedroom.”

“What if I told you there was no bedroom?” Calanthe joked as she stepped away from Eist and took him by the hand to lead him towards the house.

Eist laughed out loud then. “I know you all too well, my love. There is definitely a bedroom.”

Calanthe scrunched up her nose playfully as she smiled and leaned to the side, butting him with her shoulder as they linked hands and slowly made their way towards the cabin.

“Besides, if there is no bedroom, we certainly can use a table. Or a chair or couch. Or the floor. We had used all of them quite successfully if you think about it.”

Calanthe smirked when she glanced over at Eist, only to see him wink at her just as they reached the front door.

\--

Eist and Calanthe did indeed find the bed and made quick use of it. Now, as they laid curled together in bed overlooking the cove, they both felt at peace. Eist smirked as he stroked his hand up and down Calanthe’s back, something he had done hundreds of times before. When he glanced down, he could see a wisp of her hair that was beginning to grey. His own hair already had streaks in it, and his beard was now peppered with the occasional grey hair. The lines on both their faces had deepened as their age slowly began to show. Despite that, Calanthe looked as beautiful as ever to Eist, and she swore he only grew more handsome with age.

“So, when do I get to see the rest of the place?” Eist asked.

“When you let me out of bed.” Calanthe said through a smile just as Eist wrapped his arms a little tighter around her.

“Well I certainly am not about to let you go, so I guess I will just have to wait.”

Calanthe chuckled as Eist kissed her.

“The view is nice.” Eist said as he stretched his legs.

“I thought you’d like it. And you can’t see it from here, but there is a sloop down at the shoreline for you as well.”

“There is?” Eist asked as he sat upward excitedly, nearly causing Calanthe to roll off the bed.

She shook her head lightly as Eist crawled to the edge of the bed to peer out the window. “Do you see it?”

“I do.” Eist said as he turned back to her, his eyes glowing. “I can catch fish from there and cook it on the fire.”

Calanthe smirked as Eist crawled back to her and laid on his side just before pulling her back into his arms.

**

Ciri and Carena both eventually married, Ciri to the blonde Cintran knight she had danced with for the first time at Carena’s birthday banquet, and Carena to a Skelligan sailor she met when she visited with her parents. After long lectures from their wives, Eist and Duny were both surprised to find that when they gave both men a chance, they got along well with them. Ciri gave birth to her daughter nearly a year into her marriage, who to Calanthe’s delight, looked exactly like Ciri when she was born. A few years after marriage, Carena gave birth to twin sons, the first boys born into the family in generations.

While Calanthe still had no intentions of abdicating her throne, insisting that being Queen was a lifelong duty, she steadily passed more and more responsibility on to Pavetta, and even some to Ciri.

The Witcher did come back for Ciri, only to be quickly captured by Calanthe’s guards. To her surprise, when Geralt learned that Ciri had a family of her own now, instead of being intent on taking her, he pledged his life to her. Now Geralt of Rivia could often be seen throughout Cintra mentoring Ciri and then would disappear to go off on his own adventures, only to return weeks or sometimes months later to check on her. Occasionally, to Pavetta’s delight, he brought Jaskier with him.

**Year 1276**

Now, with Eist and Calanthe both reaching the age of sixty, they found themselves spending their days mentoring their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, determined to teach them all that they knew. Their nights were spent alone together, intent on enjoying every moment.

“How many years has it been?” Calanthe asked as they laid in each other’s arms inside their cabin by the cove, staring out over the sea from their bed.

“Twenty-seven years.” Eist said as his fingertips traced down her arm until he found her hand and took it in his own. “I am surprised you are not sick of me yet.” He said playfully.

“So am I.” Calanthe said in return, her tone matching his, which prompted Eist to tickle her side with his other hand. After a burst of laughter and poking Eist in the ribs in return, Calanthe said, “I never thought my life would end up like this.”

Eist chuckled. “Nor did I. I thought I was destined for a life alone on a ship and would suffer and early death at the hands of some sea creature.”

Calanthe shivered as Eist pulled the covers over her shoulders. “And I thought I was destined to die years ago on some battlefield with my sword clutched in my hand.”

“Everything I ever did, every choice I made, I did it all for us.” Eist whispered as he pressed a kiss to Calanthe’s forehead.

“I know.” Calanthe whispered as she tilted her head up to press a kiss to his lips. “And I’m glad you did. I am glad that you were so determined to make me your wife.” Calanthe said through a chuckle. “I don’t know any other man that would propose as much as you did.” Eist snorted through a light burst of laughter. “And I cannot even imagine how different and lonely my life would have been if you had given up.”

“I would never have given up.” Eist whispered as he peppered her face with kisses. “Even now, if you had never said yes, I would still be asking.”

It was Calanthe who laughed that time. “I love you. Gods do I love you, my darling.”

“And I love you, my Queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the same story from two perspectives was a massive exercise in patience with myself. Often throughout these past months, I found myself disappointed that I was not able to publish chapters faster. However, the double perspective allowed me to essentially show any relevant events that I wanted to be shown since I was able to show two character perspectives in conjunction with each other.
> 
> This story evolved as I wrote it, and I thank everyone who stuck along for the ride. I know it was long, but for me this story is only 20 chapters, while for the reader, it is nearly double that.
> 
> This is my first story on AO3. I have enjoyed reading the comments that were left, and I thank everyone that took time out of their day to leave one. Even they were not all responded too, they were all read, and all very much appreciated. 
> 
> Thank you reading, and I hope you enjoyed reading this story.
> 
> And now, on to the next one.


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